The Smugglers
by Lucreace
Summary: This is the final telling of a long running story line between my sister and I about how it would be cool to zoom around space being a smuggler and how Khan would be great to be on your side. It's been an idea since I saw TWOK years back. The new film just spurred me into writing it! Involves new Khan, a bunch of OC's and the crew of the Enterprise (eventually).
1. Chapter 1

It was risky. If the guards discovered the crate had a false bottoms and the cargo wasn't the few bottles of Vulcan Brandy but the highly illegal Romulan ale, they'd be in a world of trouble. Still, a job was a job and times weren't easy. The next ten minutes would be crucial. It didn't help that the Star Fleet uniforms they'd acquired seemed to be a size too small, at least for Alhana. Getting rid of the merchandise and getting back aboard the Bird and away from Earth was her main priority. There were three people in front of her, each with cargo to be checked. This could take a while. She leaned a heavy hand on the trolleys handle and sighed.

It was too hot for this kind of work anyway; she wiped sweat from her forehead and flicked it away. Far better to be back in space and away from this place. The guards waved through the first set of people and began questioning a pair of Romulans. Alhana listened as they explained they were visiting Earth for personal reasons. They faced some further questions and she lost interest. A group of Orion's joined the line behind her, hemming her in. The line moved up as the Romulans passed through. Please don't let the crew contact me now. It would be just like Kang to patch through a pointless message. She rated him for guts but not brains. If Tig had any sense, he's keep the entire ship under silence until she hailed them. A trail of sweat tickled down her back as the people in front of her were waved through. She swallowed hard, here goes.

"Pass," the guard on the left demanded. Alhana handed over her pass and tried to keep the grin from her face. The guy on the right looked bored half to death.

"What's your purpose here?" he said.

"Delivering these crates to my employer," she said. Damn, sounded sarcastic. She swallowed but remained silent. The guard on her right looked her up and down in a way that made her skin crawl, uniform was too snug for sure, she gave him a derisive look. As if a pathetic human like that would stand a chance!

"Alhana De Torren. Says here you're a registered engineer." The first one said.

"That's right."

"So why are you delivering crates to a Huge Rune?" he asked checking the pass again, "And why're you wearing blue?"

Alhana rolled her eyes and pushed stray curls from her forehead, "That's an embarrassing point," she said with a sigh, "I got into a fight a while back with my senior and I, well, I ran off. Life isn't so great out there that I had second thoughts. I took this job so I could make amends," she said. She wiped her palms on her thighs and did her best to smile. The guard on her right narrowed his eyes. Shit.

"Open the crate." He said. She did as he asked without hesitating. To do so now would be stupid. "Vulcan brandy?" he reached in and took out one of the bottles. The amber liquid sloshed as it was turned upright. "Good quality too."

"Where did you get this?"

"I don't question my employer; I just get the job done. I'm sure you boys can appreciate that."

"That all you got?"

She nodded. The guard on her right handed her pass back. The bottle was replaced and they waved her through. She hurried forward a few paces before putting the lid back on the crate. She eased the hover board forward and exited the building as quickly as she could. A wave of heat shocked her as the air conditioned building was left behind. The sky was clear however and the bright sun was making a slow descent to the horizon. Alhana checked her watch, an hour before she was due to meet Hugo. A lot could happen between now and then.

Alhana hailed a cab and demanded it take her to the rendezvous point. The driver looked at her sideward but did her bidding without question. Getting there early wouldn't be a bad thing. Maybe get the whole affair done so she could go. The Darsek's Hugo was paying them would get the plasma coils fixed on the Bird. It would mean a trip back home though and that was as risky as being here. The Empire hated having one of their own flying free and they'd not hesitate to bring the entire crew in.

London was thriving; the warm weather had brought people outside in droves. The cab passed a park covered with groups of people eating lunch on the green grass. She shook her head, humans were so… human. What was it her mother had said? Something about humans having a deeper appreciation for the natural world? Whatever it was, it was lost to the depths of time and it wasn't like she could go and ask her. A colossal boom brought her back to the present. "What th-" the words died on her lips as a giant black smoke cloud rose steadily into the air.

"God!" whispered the cab driver.

"What's over there?" she asked keeping her eyes fixed on the growing cloud of black.

"Offices mainly, Star Fleet archives, few admin buildings."

"Not in the direction we're going?"

"No ma'am," he said with a sniff. If these people wanted to blow each other up, who was she to get in the way? The remainder of the journey went smoothly, it seemed to take forever to get across the city but most of the traffic seemed to be heading in the other direction. The com in the taxi reported that it has been the Archives that had been hit but who by was unknown. She gave the driver some credits before entering the street. The market area was busy but she wasn't interested in the stalls. She waited for the driver to leave before pushing her crate into the side street by the road.

Alhana passed under a grim covered archway and banged on a metal door that was the entrance to Hugo's establishment. A slit opened and a pair of dark eyes looked her up and down. "Can I help you?" a voice growled.

"Hugo's delivery."

"Alhana?"

She nodded. There was the deep clang of a bar sliding back, the door opened a fraction and she was waved in. Inside the establishment was dark, everything looked green for a moment as she stepped inside. She blinked. "You've grown."

"Hugo," Alhana said with a smile that was genuine. He crossed the barroom and wrapped her in a great hug. She patted his back before he released her.

"Tell me everything," he said inviting her to sit on a stool.

"Let's get business done first."

Hugo nodded, "Aye , good girl. Show me the goods."

"Right there," she replied indicating the crate. Hugo strode over and opened it up.

"Brandy?" he said. His upper lip curled up as he spoke.

"Underneath that," she said. She watched as he stacked the brandy onto the bar and fumbled with the hidden panel. He found the catch and his eyes brightened as it lifted to reveal what was concealed.

"Perfect!"

"It was the only way we could get it in through the dock. Times are hard but not hard enough for me to want to spend time in a Federation cell." She said with a shrug. Hugo nodded.

"You'll want paying then." She nodded. Hugo went behind the bar and pulled out a bulging sack. He slid it to Alhana, "This should cover it." She opened the sack and looked at the contents. They weren't bright, not shining but they were Darsak's and that was what the needed.

"Let me tell the crew everything's fine." She said. Hugo nodded. Alhana tapped her watch, the muffled voice of Tig came through, "We're good." She said.

"Good Captain," The harsh voice of her second was good to hear.

"I'll be in touch; I'm going to catch up with my uncle while I'm here, Alhana out." She turned her attention back to Hugo, who sat opposite her with a smile.

"Now will you tell me everything? How's you mother?"

"I don't know. I've not been home for years."

"Why not?" he asked as he poured her a large glass of some white fizzing liquid. He passed it to her before opening a bottle of beer for himself.

"Koran and I disagreed with some of my decisions. I wanted to fix things; he wanted me to join the defence force. This was six years ago, we haven't spoken since." She replied.

"I see. Your father was always insistent."

"Good job I got my mother's stubborn side," she replied

"Not to mention her looks."

"For what good that did me," Alhana said with a laugh. She ran a hand over her smooth forehead and shrugged. She took a swig of the lemon flavoured fizz and giggled. "Lemonade? I haven't had lemonade since-"

"Since you were last here as a young child. You loved this stuff." Hugo said.

"Where's Marsha?" Alhana said looking around. "Aunt Marsha?"

"She ran off with Joe about five years ago," Hugo said.

"Sorry to hear that.

"It's no bad thing, it wasn't great towards the end and looking back I should have seen it coming. They drop by now and again, no hard feelings."

Alhana shook her head but kept her mouth shut. How someone could put up with the slight to his honour was beyond her. If she'd been in Hugo's place, she'd have pulled his guts out. The door opened and a couple of young lads walked in. The sauntered up to the bar, Hugo already had their drinks ready by the time they arrived. He fumbled under the bar and moments later a news screen lit up. "Have you heard about this Hu?" one of the lads said indicating the screen.

They both turned to look, it was a report about the explosion. The woman was prattling on about survivors and how many had been killed in the blast. The image of a Star Fleet officer appeared. He looked unremarkable except for an intense gaze. The news reader advised everyone that a manhunt was underway to find the wayward officer. "I saw that explosion," Alhana said turning back to her lemonade.

"Yeah?"

"It was big, caused a lot of smoke."

"I bet," Hugo said. Her watch buzzed. She sighed and raised it to her face.

"Not now," she growled.

Kang barked back at her, "We've got co-ordinates for a pick up, might be interesting. You're near the job." He spoke in gruff Klingon. The two bar patrons looked at her with wide eyes.

"Send me the link, Out." She said. She looked across at the young lads, they returned to their drinks hurriedly. "I think that's my cue." She said draining the last of her lemonade.

"Don't feel like you have to rush," Hugo said.

"I shouldn't stay much longer," she said indicating the two men. Hugo nodded. Her watch buzzed and she checked the pick up location. Alhana rolled her eyes, trust Kang to find a location the other side of the planet and call it 'near'.

"If I ever need anything off world I'll be in touch again," he said when she looked up.

"It was real good to see you again," she said. She arose and left without another word – she had a shuttle to catch.


	2. Chapter 2

The shuttle had been crowded and uncomfortable. The stuffy stench of human sweat had done little to improve Alhana's mood and she was nothing but glad to be off the small craft. The sun was setting between the red pillars of the bridge that spanned the bay. The Golden something or other they called it. It was a nice sight but she had more important things on her mind than the scenery. Like finding the man with the job Kang had arranged for one. According to the maps she'd looked at on route, it wasn't far from the Star Fleet headquarters – a ten minute walk.

The streets surrounding the shuttle bay were crowded with people leaving work. Commuters dodged here and there, Fleet personnel littered the street, even the odd group of tourists lingered trying to capture that perfect picture. Alhana manoeuvred around them all, keeping her head down and focusing on getting to her destination. She turned down a side street, which was distinctly less crowded than the main through fare. She didn't pause to glance up, just turned down a small alley and walked smack into a brick wall. Except this wall went 'oof' when she hit it. She looked up.

"You're not a wall!" she said.

The man before her gave her an odd look, "No." his tone puzzled.

She took a step back, "Think I made a wrong turn." Alhana made to move back the way she came before glancing up once more. "Do I know you?" she said. There was something oddly familiar about him but she couldn't place it.

"We've never met," he said. There was no arguing with that statement.

Alhana paused a moment; then it hit her, "You're the guy from the news!" she said.

"Now, wouldn't it have been better if you didn't say that?" he said. Alhana frowned.

"I don-" He moved fast, too fast for her to react. She thought she heard a muttered something or other before a sharp blow turned the world black.

A dull bouncing noise was the first clue Alhana was as to where she was. It wasn't cold or particularly noisy so she had to be indoors somewhere. The noise was regular; soothing like hearing a heart beat on a monitor. She didn't open her eyes, she was probably being watched. She thought back to the last thing she could remember. Her head. She'd been hit on the head and knocked out. Damn it. That meant that monitor like noise actually was a monitor. She was in a med room somewhere. Crap. By this time they'd have figured out she wasn't strictly human, or a member of Star Fleet. As far as she knew, getting caught in one of their uniforms was an offense. They wouldn't know who she was at all.

She opened her eyes a fraction and glanced around through the slits. White room – so it was a med bay, "You can open your eyes young lady," the gruff tone of a member of the med staff said.

"Where am I?" she asked. Her voice sounded thick and her mouth was drier than Praxis.

"Star Fleet Medical Bay but I'm pretty sure you already knew that." Alhana opened her eyes and tried to sit up, "Steady, you've taken a nasty blow to the head," he said. She moved her arm and went to push herself up but a clang stopped her. She was cuffed to the bed. She looked across at the doctor with a raised eyebrow.

"Is this necessary?"

"It is." She let her head sink back into the pillow. She heard the doctor move away. Moments later, footsteps returned to the room, it sounded like a whole platoon of officers the way it echoed in her head. There were three of them. The doctor went to inject her with something but she jerked away.

"It probably won't work anyway," she said. He shrugged and put the device aside.

"Who are you?" said one of the officers.

"I could ask the same of you," she replied.

"Acting Chief of Security Johnson," he said.

"Alhana De Torren."

"Why are you working for the Klingons?"

Alhana narrowed her eyes, "I'm not working for the Klingons."

"Then how do you explain this?" he said holding up her watch. Even as Johnson held it up, she could hear Kang's garbled voice through it. He was demanding to speak with her. She rolled her eyes, one day he'd learn.

"I'm a free agent dealing with the carrying of cargo," she said. He looked as though he was considering her words for a moment

"Why were you dressed in a Star Fleet uniform then?" he said, "If you're a tre free agent why the need for subterfuge?"

She laid her free hand over her eyes and sighed. The doctor began hovering over her with a small hand scanning device.

"Make this quick Johnson, we have her under lockdown so you can resume later," he said.

"Makes getting onto shuttles easier," she said, letting her voice fall. Johnson snorted but heeded the doctor's wishes.

"We'll continue this later," he said before he and his silent colleague stomped away.

"Thanks doc," she said.

"I don't need your thanks, your blood pressure is falling and I don't want to do the paperwork if you happen to die." He placed something cold against her arm which was followed by a small hush. "Now sleep so I don't have to talk to you."

Alhana tried to keep her eyes from falling closed but couldn't fight it off. Sleep took her.

The next time she awoke she wasn't alone. Her head was no longer pounding though and she felt a lot clearer. Guards surrounded the room and for a moment she flattered herself they were here for her. She pulled herself up and stretched as best she could; her arm was still attached to the side of the bed. There was no doctor in the room, just the occupant of the other bed and the host of guards. The dull beeping of the machinery faded into the background as she looked at the person in the bed beside her.

He was cuffed to the bed too and out cold by the look of it. Black hair framed a narrow face that she knew at once; the one who had knocked her out. The guy who'd arranged the bomb in London. Good thing he was unconscious, Alhana had half a mind to wake him just to send him back there herself. "Hey!" she said. One of the guards turned around. "What's this idiot doing in here with me?"

"Don't take that tone with me Klingon, we know you're in league with _him_," he said before turning his back on her once more. In league? Biggest pile of crap she'd heard in a while. Still, she kept her mouth shut and let that sink in. Why would they even think that? Come to think of it, how long had she been out for? She turned her attention to the link that held her in place. She rattled it and yanked it against the side of the bed. It didn't give. It was fairly tight against her wrist but there was enough room for her to move. Maybe if she tucked her thumb in to her palm…

"You'll dislocate your thumb if you keep doing that," the man next to her said. His voice was low and as she glanced round she noticed the guards hadn't heard anything. She settled herself into the bed, turning so her back was to the guards.

"Any better suggestions?" she hissed.

"Even if you get out of that cuff, how will you escape here?"

"What th- I don't need to tell you that."

"No," he said.

"I've half a mind to put you back to sleep when I've freed myself," she retorted, keeping her teeth clenched as she spoke.

"I think that's what's going to happen anyway."

"What?"

"Haven't you been watching the screens lately?" he said. She could almost hear his eyes roll when he spoke.

"I've been in here since you hit me on the head. I don't know how long ago that was."

"That should've killed you."

"I feel better already." She replied. She lined her hand up and pushed against the cuff. She bit down on her tongue as the pressure on her thumb increased.

"Why are you here?"

"They don't know why I'm here. They think I'm working for the Empire."

"Are you?"

"Hell no. I got better things to do than work for those morons." She said. She screwed her face up as the pressure increased.

"Don't scream now, you'll bring them all inhere," he said. She inhaled a short breath as the pressure on her thumb gave. She held her breath as the red dancing in front of her eyes calmed down.

"Fuck," she whispered as a breath forced out of her. She sat up, ignoring the fire coming from her left hand.

"So what now?"

"I might call the guards and tell them your awake and irritating the hell out of me," she said.

"They'd just stick that cuff back on and all that pain would be for nothing,"

"You're not helping."

"Do you want my help?"

Alhana ran her hand along the soft mattress and sighed, "What can you do?"

"Do you have a way out of here?" he asked. His voice was softer than it was before.

"If I can contact my ship, I can get off world."

"How do you propose to do that?"

"My com-link is in the building somewhere. They took it from me and then asked me questions when one of my crew started sprouting Klingon down it." She replied. "If I can get that, we can get out of here."

"Alright." She could hear the nod in his voice. "Can you fight?"

"Really? You're really asking me that?"

"Right, Klingon."

"So what can you do? You're still tied to the bed." She said looking across at where he lay. She glanced at his wrist; he was free!

"Are you ready?" he said. His eyes flickered open and he turned his narrow face to her. His eyes were an odd mix of green, grey and blue, they narrowed into angry slits. Alhana nodded. Together they arose.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm glad you're all enjoying my little fic here. I'm flattered at all the follows and favourites I'm getting too. Please feel free to contact me if there is anything you would add or isn't quite right, I'd love to hear suggestions as well.

Lu.

Chapter 3

The man next to her sprang up noiselessly and Alhana followed suit. She wasn't about to shy away from the opportunity to dish out a pounding, especially to those that had trapped her here. She wasn't as stealthy as him but they weren't noticed by any of the eight guards. A quick glance at her companion told her it was time. She drew back her fist and brought it down on the nape of the first man's neck. Waves of pain erupted through her hand from her thumb. He stumbled forward with a surprised off but she had no time to think about him. She turned to the next guard who was groping at his side for a weapon. With a swift kick, she knocked his hand away before barrelling into him. She grabbed for his phaser before the man could react. Hurling it at the other guard, who was now aware of her, as a distraction, she placed a swift boot to the head of the second guard.

The fourth had drawn his weapon and aimed it at Alhana. She smiled back at him, flashing white teeth, "Stop right where you are," he said. The sound of a scuffle behind her was reassuring at least! Alhana started to raise her hands, "Slow," the guard barked. She ducked and dove for his legs, hoping that he'd be distracted enough to forget the weapon in his hand. The weight falling on her told her he had. He started struggling the moment he hit the ground however and she received a few kicks for her efforts. She didn't let go of his ankle despite the pounding she was now getting. The side of his boot caught her thumb; a scream escaped her. She hoped it sounded like a rage scream but suspected otherwise. It became less about the fight and more about keeping him immobile. The electric sound of a phaser going off made her tense but there was no time to look around. She dug her fingers into the fleshy part of the guard's calf. He let out a moan that told her how he felt about it. He began to roll but she clung on. Another buzz and the guard went limp.

"Someone will have heard that." Her companion said throwing her a phaser. She caught it with ease.

Alhana glanced around and saw the eight guards were now lying in various positions in the corridor. She nodded as she rose to her feet, "Any idea where they keep possessions around here?"

"This way," he said. Alhana fell in step alongside him as they hurried along the corridor. "I believe they keep personal possessions of captives in the basement." They paused at a corner before turning towards the lift. There was no sign of anyone else in the corridor, maybe they'd been kept in isolation but then, why keep them together? "Quick," he said. The lift door opened and they stepped in.

"Basement," Alhana said. The lift began to move at a painstakingly slow speed. It was the perfect moment to size up her newest companion. He was tall, yet not the tallest human she had ever encountered. Dark hair graced the top of his narrow face in an unruly manner. Intense hate filled eyes peered right back at her. She glanced down; svelte would be a word to describe him! He filled out the black clothing they'd dressed him in.

"Well?"

"What?"  
"Do I pass the physical exam?"

"You were doing the same." She said with a shrug. He moved his hands in a dismissive gesture. "Were you trying to find the bits of Klingon?"

"What?" he said.

"The Klingon parts of me are on the inside, mostly."

"I see."

The lift hissed as it slowed, almost there. "Alhana," she said.

"Khan." The door opened and they dashed through. Khan led the way; she hoped he knew the way! It could be a trap for all she knew. He slowed to a walk and she followed suit. "We're in dress that would normally found here. Don't do anything to attract attention." He said.

"Do you know where we're going?" she said. He cut her off with a sharp gesture. Three medical personnel walked past, deep in conversation, they didn't seem to notice them. Alhana took a breath and they continued to walk the corridor. Khan gestured for her to stop. She frowned until he pointed to a console imbedded into the wall. He tapped into it while she kept her eye on the corridor.

"Do what you're doing quick," she hissed, "Someone's coming."

"Keep them busy," he said not taking his eyes from the console. She glanced down at the phaser in her hand and grinned. That was something she could do! She waited until they'd turned the corner; it was a couple of guards dressed in neat red shirts. She aimed the phaser, squeezed the trigger and they ceased to be a problem. An alarm began to squeal – steady, loud and definitely going to make life difficult. "Let's go," Khan said looking up from the console.

This time, they ran down the corridor. People wearing all sorts of colours came filtering out of doors, blue and white predominantly but the odd red was there. "Hey!" shouted a voice as they hurtled passed. They ducked around a corner and kept pelting forwards. There was more red in the corridor now; not good. Khan pulled his phaser from his belt and downed one as they zipped by. Alhana hopped over the body lightly, managing to keep pace. Her lungs worked like bellows, sucking the air down in deep gasps as she pushed forward. They had to be near the right place soon, surely? The seconds passed, the corridor flitted by, looking the same no matter where they turned.

"In here," Khan said. Alhana flew into the door, her companion followed, slamming it behind them. Alhana looked around as her breathing returned to normal. It looked like an ordinary storage room; there were lockers on the side of three walls, a desk in the middle with a solitary computer and a wide eyed young ensign sitting behind it.

"You're not supposed to be in here," he said as he started to rise.

"Stay right where you are," Alhana said drawing her phaser. "Guard the door," Khan nodded.

"What do you want?"

"Hands where I can see them first." He did as he was told, "A few days ago one of your guard types will have brought you my things. It would have looked like a watch to you and it would have been speaking Klingon."

"I know it."

"I want it back, now!" she said.

"It's in the locker over there," he said pointing to his left.

"Oh no, you're going to get it for me. There could be explosives in there for all I know." The boy swallowed and got to his feet slowly. Alhana kept the phaser pointed at him as he moved, "Quickly." He speeded up, tripping over his feet as he rushed to the locker. He jabbed in a code. It flashed a red light. He tried again. Same result. He turned to her with a pale grin.

"Get a move on," Khan said from the door. The pounding sound of feet came from the corridor.

"You heard!" Alhana snapped.

The boy tried again, this time, a green light flashed and the door swung open. He let out a loud breath before he reached in and pulled out Alhana's com device. It was silent. He passed it to Alhana. Snatching it from his hand, she locked it around her wrist and shook it. Moments later, it began flashing. The boy scampered away.

"Now for your part of the bargain," Khan said as she trotted to the door. Looking down the corridor, she could see a wall of red making its way to their current location.

"It's just rebooting. Usually takes a minute," she said.

"We don't have a minute."

She shook her head, "I can't make it go faster."

"Get ready with that phaser then."

The wall was fast approaching. Alhana crouched down so that she wouldn't be in Khan's way. They'd both need to shoot for this to work. No sooner than she'd got there, he started firing. She joined him. Making sure she picked a target first before blasting them with the energy weapon. A couple tumbled to the floor but they kept coming. Come on, come on. Alhana picked another target and another collapsed to the ground. The guards got the message. They ducked behind doors to avoid further phaser blasts. Her watch beeped and an angry voice kicked in.

"Two to beam," she barked in Klingon cutting off the voice.

"Get to the ground floor, there is a disrupter field blocking your signal." It was Tig. She nodded. How they were meant to do that was another thing.

"We need to go."

"I heard." He said as he fired down the corridor. "Keep firing." She did so, trying to aim at the guards nearest to her. She caught one in the arm and he fell into the corridor. A wave of blasts forced her to duck behind the door. She fired blindly into the hall, hoping to hit something. Khan returned dragging the boy along behind him. "Get ready." Alhana did so. She was so close she could smell the fear on the boy and the light tang of sweat on her companion. He jabbed the boy.

"Stop! Stop firing."

The phasers stopped.

"Please don't shoot me," he cried as Khan forced him into the corridor. Both he and Alhana stepped behind him. They dragged him backwards, away from the guards and towards the turbo lift.

"Don't shoot, I will kill him." Khan said. The way the guards reacted told Alhana that he meant it. They held their phasers ready but not one of them attempted to fire. The walk back to the turbo lift was the slowest she'd ever made. Blood pounded in her ears with every step they took. When the lift hissed open, Alhana let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Once they were safely inside, Khan knocked the lad on the head and pushed him forward. The lift shut just as his feet hit the ground.

"Ground level." Alhana barked. She took a deep breath, filling herself with cool soothing air. Exhaling slowly, she straightened and stretched her arms. The pain in her thumb made itself known once more but she ignored it. Her companion looked as though he hadn't broken a sweat.

"Report!" her watch chirped.

"We're nearly there Tig," she replied.

"Good."

The lift ground to a halt and the doors hissed open. Alhana snarled as they were greeted by more red shirted guards. They all had their phasers pointing at them, the lift was surrounded, there was nowhere to hide. Johnson stepped out from the side, a smirk at the corner of his mouth.

"I knew you pair were connected," he said. Khan and Alhana exchanged glances. "Now, are you going to come quietly?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow. Alhana nudged Khan with her foot as she raised both her hands. He frowned but did as she did.

"You first!" he said pointing at her companion. Khan stepped forward slowly, his gait awkward, poised to spring if the worst should happen. Alhana followed. The guards grabbed hold of her companion, forcing his hands behind his back. There was no grimace on his face despite how much it must have hurt. She brought her watch to her face, "NOW!" she shouted. The faint hissing of a transporter started and a red glow began to engulf her; only her. Shit! She lunged forward and grabbed hold of Khan's wrist. The red swamped him. The last thing she heard was the frustrated shouts of the nearby guards. Then she was back where she belonged.

She strode from the pad and grabbed a distruptor. She altered the setting, turned on her disorientated companion and shot him. He groaned and fell forwards. He looked up at her with hate filled eyes. She shot him again. Alhana turned to Tig, who had joined them from the bridge, "Take him to the brig." She said before leaving the room.


	4. Chapter 4

The Old Warbird was exactly that; old. A D-12 Class Klingon warship that had seen better days. She was never going to outsprint the new vessels the Federation were churning out but she still had a reliable cloaking device and was capable of steady travel. She'd not let Alhana down yet, except she needed a new plasma coil and the Darsaks for that job had been confiscated by the Federation. Not the best outcome of the mission. Then there was that odd human she'd picked up who was now in the brig. What on Qo'nos was she going to do about him?

She stepped out of her shower and wrapped a towel around her curly reddish hair. It felt good to be out of the awful clothes Star Fleet had put her in. Good to get the stench of Earth from her skin and its fog from her pores. Space was where she belonged. Next time, Kang could make the drop she didn't care how unfriendly the place was towards Klingons. She'd ordered the ship back to the Romulan territories, there was always work to be done there. Often cheap violent work but it would make a start in recuperating the losses from the last job. She'd filled her officers in on what had happened and although they weren't exactly pleased about what had happened, they hadn't turned into revenge seeking furies either.

Time for a conversation with Khan, time for some answers too. She pulled on some clothing and headed to the brig. The ship wasn't luxurious by any standards but it was better than most in the Defence Force. The corridors were clear and she'd made sure there was enough storage space on the lower decks so the crew could have individual rooms. What they did with that space was up to them. Her own quarters were spacious and comfortable. It would make her father angry to see the amount of comfort in them, he would think her soft. Her crew knew better. She stopped by the machine and got two cups of hot coffee. A liking she'd been given by her mother and not one she could shake. She took them to the brig. When she got there, Khan was lying in one of the beds in a cell. He looked up at the sound of her footsteps. "I wondered how long it would be before you returned."

"I brought coffee. I don't know if you drink it but…" she let the words trail off. "I do drink it," he said. Alhana passed the coffee through the bars and set it on the ground. While he moved to pick it up she dragged a nearby chair over so she could sit down. He sipped the warm liquid for a long moment before looking up at her, "So where did we go wrong Alhana?" he asked.

"The point where you tried to kill me stands out."

"Ah yes, that," he said with a nod.

"I think it's time you told me how we ended up in this position," she said.

"I thought that was obvious."

"Why were you there in the first place?" she said with a little sigh.

"I tried to destroy Star Fleet." His answer was a statement.

"By yourself?" he nodded, "Are you mad?"

"Maybe a bit. I caused a lot of damage when I flew a star ship into it." His face was deadly serious as he spoke leading Alhana to believe he was telling the truth.

"They must have done something to really piss you off. The Federation are annoying but they have their uses," she said.

"They killed my family." Alhana took a moment to digest this.

"I see," she said with a nod. Revenge was a good cause, "Are you satisfied?" she asked. Now it was Khan's turn to pause before answering. She watched a range of emotions flicker across his face. He opened his mouth to speak more than once before closing it once more.

"The man responsible is dead. Has my hate died? No. I no longer wish to seek out retribution for my people but nor do I want to have dealings with that organisation."

It was a careful answer and Alhana didn't know how sincere it was. Still, for the moment she was satisfied. "What will you do now?" she asked. Again, he considered the question before answering.

"I think that depends on you," he said. She made a gesture with her hand for him to keep talking. "Why were you in that room?" he asked.

"I was caught wearing a Federation uniform while not being a member of that organisation. I'm half Klingon and one of my officers decided trying to contact me was a good idea, thus giving my affiliations away. Or so they thought."

"So what are you then?" he said. He placed the cup on the floor beside him and looked directly at her.

"We are an independent trading ship transporting goods with a no questions asked policy," she said. It was a well rehearsed line and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she said it.

"Smugglers?" he said with a frown.

"Come now, don't tell me that you, the only man to ever fly a star ship into the Federation Headquarters is fazed by a little smuggling operation." She said with a laugh, "How did you survive that anyway?"

"Genetic Engineering."

"Thought that was forbidden."

"Not in the twentieth century."

"But-"

"Cryogenic suspension."

Alhana nodded, "I see. So I think the last thing I should ask is where do you want to go?"

Khan flicked his eyes to the ground for a moment before looking back up. "I don't know." He said eventually. "I don't have anywhere to go anymore. My home was destroyed many years past and that planet down there is nothing like I remember. I could adapt but I doubt that is an option left for me."

"Can I trust you if you stay here?" she asked.

"I won't steal the ship if that's what you're wondering."

"It was." Khan smiled at her admission. It made small crinkle lines at the corners of his eyes and changed the whole aspect of his face, for that brief moment, he looked as though hate hadn't been his motivation for the past six months. It vanished almost as soon as it had appeared. "Come on," she said, picking up her empty cup, "Let's get out of the brig and I'll show you your quarters."

"You mean these aren't my quarters?" he said. Alhana laughed.

"Oh come on, I'm only half Klingon. We do allow comforts here. Do you speak Klingon?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied in the language.

"Good. Most of my crew are Klingon and that's the language used on board." She said as she punched numbers into the panel. The door hissed open and for a brief moment, she thought he might strike her. He didn't, instead, picked up his cup and left the cell.

"I've not spoken it much but I will pick it up," he said, his language flawless.

"Sounds like you've got most of it. This way," she said. He strode along next to her as she led him to the personal crew quarters. "There are food replicators here so help yourself when you need to. I'll grant you access to our data banks as well should you need them. After a day or so, we'll assign you a job to do. Is there anything you're good at?" she asked.

"Everything." He replied

"Specifics Khan."

"Engineering."

"OK, why not read up on the Bird then and see what you can do." He nodded. She stopped outside a dusky red door and waited for it to open. It did so, albeit sluggishly. "It's not a new ship," she explained. "This is your space. Do with it as you will. I know it isn't big but it is yours alone. No one else will be able to enter it without your code. The panel to change it is just inside the door." She said.

Khan nodded, "Is there a shower anywhere?"

"Yes, down the corridor and to the right," she said pointing in the right direction. On hearing this, another smile broke onto his face. She returned it, knowing exactly how it felt to be clean after a mission. "There's clothing in the draws as well. I don't know if it will fit but it might be more comfortable than those Federation things you're in."

"Captain to the bridge!" The overhead speakers chirped.

"That's me. Make yourself at home Khan and we'll speak some more later." She said. He nodded and she turned to make her way to the bride. Se couldn't help wonder if this was the biggest mistake she would ever make.


	5. Chapter 5

Alhana took her seat in the main chair on the bridge. The screen showed the passing stars in its usual fashion. The helm was manned by Kang; Tig was at the scanners. Both turned as she settled down, "We have a new crew member," she said.

"We're keeping him?" Kang asked. His dark eyes narrowed.

"For now," she said, "He'll prove useful."

"He better," Tig said.

"Are we underway?" she said changing the subject.

"Current speed we'll arrive in Xanthe in five days." He said.

"We'll hit the markets and see what we can pick up. We need to make enough to get that plasma coil changed as soon as we can," she said, "Damned Federation confiscated everything I had."

"Maybe we can pick up some passengers again," Kang said turning his attention back to his console to make a minor adjustment.

"Because that worked so well the first time round," Tig said.

"It depends what's there. We'll have plenty of time to consider our options." She said. "Something might come up before then. Keep the channels open. Where is Tavana?" she asked, noting the communications console was empty.

"She's not due for another hour," Tig said, "Nor is Maiell."

Alhana clicked one of the buttons on her chair, "Maskan; report."

"Running as expected," a crackling voice sounded over the intercom system. It sounded to her like that would need fixing soon too. The whole ship would fall part soon if they didn't get the parts they needed, even then it would be touch and go. Still, the thought of parting with her was too painful to consider. The crew would have nowhere to go and neither would she. She ran her hand over the battered seat and smiled, the repairs would come soon enough. Sighing, she tapped a couple of buttons and began reading the reports and signing the diagnostics that only she could.

The crew change came and went with only a slight nod on her part. The communication monitoring was always fascinating and Alhana enjoyed reading every word. She read the Klingon and English easily however, the Vulcan was more of a challenge. The script had been converted into the more familiar Klingon yet some of the meaning was lost. The study of the document took her full attention. "Captain?"

She looked up and saw Tavana. "Yes?" Tavana flicked her eyes to the bridge doors. Alhana followed her and nodded as Khan joined them.

"I'm not intruding am I?" he said.

"Of course not, Tavana, would you mind showing our newest crewmember how your station functions?" she said, Tavana nodded and motioned for Khan to move over. He looked altogether more comfortable in the black polo-neck and black pants. Maybe a bit overboard on the black but whatever made him comfortable. That satisfied, she resumed puzzling out the Vulcan transmission. From what she could make out, it was a personal transmission regarding a missing family member. She'd just started on the part where he was last seen. The wayward Vulcan, who was an adolescent, had left his parents while on a trip and not returned when they came to leave. He hadn't been seen since. The two parents were now mounting a search to find their missing child. Alhana got more interested when the Xanthe system's name cropped up. There was no mention of a reward but it could be worth their while to investigate while in the area.

She looked up from reading the document and tapped into her chair. Hopefully the transmission she sent would get their attention and an image would be forthcoming. If not, there was always the description in what she had already. She refocused on the remaining reports – mostly system reports and meaningless transmissions they'd picked up while orbiting Earth.

Stifling a yawn, Alhana turned off the reports and stretched. Her head fizzed as she looked out the visual for a long moment. The gentle flicking of the passing stars was always something she'd loved watching and she never grew tired of it. She yawned again. Maybe it was time to retire. The ache in her thumb had deepened; it had been too long since she had lain down in her own private room. "Tig," she said. The big Klingon looked across from his console. "Take the conn."

"Captain."

She arose and he took her place. She glanced at Tavana, she was pointing at the console and Khan was nodding along to what she was saying. Good. She left the bridge for her own quarters. Once there, she removed her clothing and climbed into the bed. Firm and functional, she was asleep before she could think of anything else.

Alhana awoke to the sound of her first officer's irate voice. The warmth of sleep left her as soon as the words Star Fleet reached her ears. A cold sensation settled in her gut as she sat up.

She made it to the bridge in record time but she didn't remember dressing or doing anything else. Yet, she was there, clothed, ready to hear what had happened, "Report," she said before she even reached the command chair.

"We intercepted a Fleet wide communication; they've launched a man hunt," Tig said rising from the chair. She took his place and punched up the details. She scanned them and nodded.

"What did you do?" she said with a whistle.

"What?" Tig frowned.

"Not you. They don't want us as such, by the sound of this, they're interested in recapturing the 'dangerous manipulative war criminal' we are now harbouring." She said.

"What do you intend to do with him?"

"I think it's time we discussed this with everyone." Alhana said. "Call everyone to the bridge." It took a while for the twelve crew members to assemble and the bridge was certainly crowded with them all there but it was the only real place they could all fit and still maintain control of the vessel. "I'll make this quick," she said when they'd all settled. "Star Fleet are looking for us." A few murmurs echoed around the room.

"Why?" Maeill said.

"While escaping their clutches I had help from our newest crew member. It would seem Star Fleet want him back," she explained. "I've gathered you here to decide what to do. This is a serious matter and you all have a voice in what we do. Our options are to maroon Khan somewhere and get out of there. Send him back to Star Fleet where who knows what will happen or to keep him on board." She said.

"Why do they want him so bad?" Vrenn, one of her engineers, said.

"They fear me," Khan said. The whole of the bridge turned to face him.

"Why would the Federation fear just one single man?" This time it was Kang who spoke up. The pale skinned fair haired albino Klingon narrowed his red eyes as he glared at Khan.

"I suspect it has something to do with the star ship I crashed into their base. A star ship I constructed for them to use as a military vessel," he said. His tone betrayed no emotion, no sign of fear or anxiety, only indifference to Kang's threatening mannerism. "I'm not going to tell you the details of why or how, just know that it was for a valid reason." Was that the glimmer of hate showing through? The tightness of his jaw would certainly suggest it. Maybe his hate wasn't as dead as he'd made it out to be. Good.

"What will they do with you if they catch you?" Maglin, a large Klingon in charge of security, asked.

"Return me to cryogenic suspension, kill me perhaps. They should do."

"What do we gain if you stay?" Tig said.

"Knowledge."

"I'm going to bring this to a close so you can go off and make your minds up. Remember, where would you be if it wasn't for this ship? Keep that in mind while you think on it," Alhana said. Khan gave her an almost imperceptible nod as the crew dispersed. "I want your answers in less than an hour," she said. The bridge cleared, leaving Alhana to wonder what the outcome of this vote would be.


	6. Chapter 6

An hour later the matter had been settled. Khan was sat at one of the stations reading through the schematics of the ship. The crew had decided to let him stay on the condition that it was as a member of the crew. This meant that as a new crew member he'd have to work a shift like they did. Khan hadn't seemed to mind much yet expressed that his unfamiliarity with the type of vessel would render that difficult. Now he was learning about the D-12 and all her flaws in order to rectify that. Alhana turned her attention back to some more communication that had filtered through, including an image of T'Kir, the missing Vulcan. To Alhana, he looked like a Vulcan, nothing stood out which was going to make finding him difficult. Still, she'd circulate the image with the crew in the hope someone might spot him. They'd soon find out.

The five day trip to Xanthe was uneventful. Monitoring the Star Fleet channels proved fruitless. There was chatter about the fugitives but nothing to denote they'd been seen since the escape. Alhana had ordered the ship remain cloaked while they travelled and the ploy had worked. It was now time to visit the surface of Xanthe and see what the markets had in store for them. Standing in the transporter room was most of the ship's crew. Kang and Akhil had opted to run the ship while the rest of the crew were on the surface. She gave the nod and the transporter whirred to life.

Xanthe was a wet planet by definition, most of its surface was water and the floating bazaars were something of a wonder. They'd split into groups of two or three to explore and see what they could find. Khan was with her, it would arouse less suspicion this way she told herself. The day-to-day people would always look sideways at her when she was with the Klingons. As if she didn't belong with them. Her human appearance has always caused problems with her own people but as far as she was concerned, she was a Klingon and other people be damned. Still, two humans would cause less of a stir than a big bunch of Klingons with one 'human'.

The platform they'd beamed onto gave them both a spectacular view of the multiple levelled bazaar. Small ships buzzed around the central hive of activity, taking traders to and from stalls. Noise was a constant cacophony, the hawking of wares, the tempting of buyers and even the occasional scream could be heard above the hum of activity. A deep breath bombarded Alhana with so many scents and tastes that she staggered. Khan gave her a puzzled look. "Can't you smell it?" she said.

"Of course."

"I wasn't expecting it to be so… strong," she said. She took a step forward, expecting Khan to follow behind her. The crunch of his boots told her he was there.

"What are we looking for?" he said as they passed the first line of stalls. Most of them displayed items he considered tat, small trinkets worth less than what they were being sold for. The traders were of a variety of races, some he'd seen before, some he hadn't.

"Anything that we can take elsewhere and sell for a profit! Look out for anyone wanting to charter a ship, that's usually a good way of making some quick funds. And that Vulcan too." She said. "Towards the centre of this rabble is a group of Klingon and Romulan traders much like us. We'll make our way there and see what they have to say." She added.

"Is that wise?"

"I don't know." She snapped, "I do know that if we don't get my ship fixed soon we won't have a ship at all. It's the best I can do at the moment."

"I see," he said. They passed a few more stalls in silence, the goods looked cheap and misused. Alhana only gave them and the holders a quick glance as she strode by. Khan paused longer than she did, taking more time to inspect the items on the tables.

She walked back, "Have you found something?"

"How do you expect to find anything when you don't look," he said turning to face her.

Alhana broke into a smile, "Don't you know the Klingon saying 'Buy or Die'? I forget other races do this thing called browsing," she said.

"Maybe you should try it," Khan said moving away from the stall.

"Maybe. I doubt I'd be any good at it though. There are better stalls than this deeper in the market." Alhana said.

The two of them picked their way through the crowds and navigated to the central part of the lower floor. The sunlight was completely blocked this far into the bazaar, the only light was provided by globes fixed to the struts that supported the rest of the levels. The air was hot, close and difficult to breath. The scents of cooking food and refuse has intensified making Alhana cough. Khan showed no sign of it bothering him. The stalls now displayed mangled tech and battered parts. There was nothing there that they needed so they bypassed the calling sellers and headed straight to the centre. There, waiting for them it seemed, was a large group of Klingons. "Here's Flathead," one of them shouted. Blood rushed to her cheeks but bit back the retort that rose on her tongue.

"Flathead?" Khan frowned.

"Not now," she hissed. "Kahless," she replied turning to the Klingon who has spoke. He was the leader of this gang and as such, was one of the biggest, meanest bastards she'd known. Boy did he enjoy reminded everyone of that.

"Who's that?" he demanded pointing at Khan.

"Newest crew member," she replied. "Got any work?"

Kahless snorted, "Not that you could do." He looked down his nose at her before turning back to the octopus he was eating.

"Don't lie to me," she said taking a step forward, "You've never failed to give me a job yet, why change that now?"

"Hmpf, maybe I gave it to more capable Klingons, not a half blood like you? Ever think of that?" he said casting a discarded tentacle to the floor. The Warrigul at his feet leapt after it with a disgusting snarl.

"I am as capable now as I was three months ago, what changed?" she said planting her hands on her hips. Khan stood just behind her and she was grateful to have the back up.

"You allowed yourself to be captured." He stated. Alhana forced herself to shut her gaping mouth at that. "You should have killed yourself rather than live with the dishonour."

"Now you sound like my father," Alhana said with the wave of a hand. "I didn't come here to bandy words with you, I need work. If you have none, we shall depart. Though how you're going to find someone else to transport your _Racht _and keep it fresh I don't know." Kahless looked up at that moment, his brow narrowed.

"You can still get across the border?"

"There's not many places I can't get to."

Kahless exchanged a look with one of his crew. "Get this list," he said as she was handed a piece of paper with scrawl covering it.

"Pay me first," she said folding the list and putting it in her jacket pocket.

"Now listen her Flathead. I'll pay you on return," he said jabbing a finger at her.

"And I thought Klingon's were an honourable people," Khan said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"What did you say human?" Kahless spat the word human from his mouth as though it tasted foul, "What would you know of us?" he demanded. Alhana tried to catch Khan's eye but he refused to meet her, instead staring straight at Kahless.

"Enough to see that you have no intention of paying for the goods on arrival. Any fool can see you're intensions, they're written over you like a pock-marked disease." He said, his eyes narrowed and his fists were clenched at the side of him. Kahless arose from his seat and strode forward.

"Do you not know the folly of interfering with Klingons?" he snarled. "Time to teach you a lesson!" Khan didn't flinch as Kahless brought his fist up. He simply sidestepped the blow, caught his wrist and slammed his elbow down onto the extended arm. A most unklingon like sound issued from Kahless' mouth. Khan tripped his opponent in the confusion and planted a swift kick in his midsection.

"What were you saying?" he said.

Kahless rolled on the ground for a moment. The Warrigul reappeared at that moment, a savage snarl spewed from its lips, which curled back showing vicious teeth. The other members of his gang made to move forward. A curt command from Kahless settled the matter. "Alright, alright." The big Klingon said stumbling to his feet. He reached into his belt and pulled out a pouch. He tossed it to Alhana. She opened it and nodded.

"We'll be back with the goods within a month." She said. With a jerk of her head, she left the centre of the market, Khan close on her heels.


	7. Chapter 7

As soon as they were away from the centre of the bazaar, Alhana turned to Khan. She tried so hard to keep a smile from erupting onto her face but as soon as she caught the gleam in his eye she failed, "That was awesome!" she said.

"I do not like the way he referred to us as 'Flatheads'," Khan said as they walked along, "It made me feel inferior."

"A feeling I've had most my life," Alhana said.

"Yet that can't be a true sentiment," Khan said, "You're the captain of a star ship."

"We're a bunch of run-aways and misfits trying to find a place in the universe," Alhana said, "None of us are really wanted by our own people so we carve our way where we can." Khan was silent for a long moment. She hoped he was contemplating those words as they weaved through the crowd. "It doesn't make us inferior or less worthy, it just makes us different."

"I know that feeling," he said. His voice was low and she only just heard him over the shouting in the bazaar. "I should have killed him."

"What?" Alhana said freezing in her tracks.

"I should have killed him."

"Why?"

"He recognised you and knew you'd been captured. He could alert Star Fleet," Khan said stopping just a little bit too close to her. Alhana took a step back.

"He could do but what would be in it for him?"

"Vengeance."

"If Kahless wants vengeance he'll be up there waiting for us when we return to the ship," Alhana said, "Forget it for now, we'll head to the upper levels and see if there is anything there. Thanks for pounding him though; I've wanted to do that for as long as I can remember." Khan nodded at her before they began the climb to the top floors.

The upper levels of the bazaar were rammed with people. Some selling, most buying, every one of them clamouring for a bargain and hoping to make money one way or another. There were Orions, Cardassians, Romulans and a whole host of other faces, some of which were new to Alhana. The scent of roasting meat reached her and she had to stop herself from drooling. Delightful titbits were being offered for minimal prices and she was sorely tempted to purchase some. She left the morsels where they were however; everything spent here was money not being spent on fixing the Warbird. Alhana drifted along through the stalls, her mind wandering away from the task at hand and focusing on other matters – mostly getting the ship fixed, where they would get the parts from and how long it would take to get the job done. Maybe they could get the parts from that Ferengi merchant who could source Klingon parts.

Hands seized her waist and pulled her backwards. "We need to turn the other way," Khan whispered in her ear before she could make a noise. She shivered, not altogether fearfully. "Look." Ahead, at the next junction, was a large poster displaying his face and a group of people who were looking in their direction. Alhana nodded. She was more aware of his lean form and the strong hands clasping her than any immediate danger. She swallowed hard and he let her go. There was no more time to think about it, they spun on their heels and scarpered off in the direction they'd come.

The reached the edge of the upper platform, Alhana touched her watch and the familiar warm sensation of the transporter engulfed her. A moment later she stepped off the pad and back into the familiar surroundings of her ship. Khan was beside her but she couldn't think about him at the moment. The place where he'd touched her still tingled with the ghost of memory. The sensation didn't leave when she flapped her shirt, "Everything OK?" Khan asked. Blood flushed to her face.

"Yes. I'm going to take a shower; I can smell the bazaar on me." She said. She left before he had chance to say anything else.

By the time she'd showered and changed, the rest of the crew had returned to the ship. She gathered the leaders of the respective teams and called them together for a meeting on the bridge. "We got nothing," Tig said.

"Nothing here either," Maglin said.

"No," Mindor said

"We heard about that Vulcan," Ranka said, "He jumped on a ship heading to the Toraz system."

"Only thing we turned up was the regular job from Kahless and I don't think he'll be in a hurry to hear from us again." Alhana said unable to keep from smiling.

"Oh?" Tavana said lifting her eyebrow.

"Khan broke his arm in response to an insult made to me."

"Good." Kang nodded.

"Just don't start throwing chairs at him." Tig laughed. She shot the dark haired Klingon what she hoped was a scathing look. He merely laughed at her.

"What details of we have on the Toraz system?" she said.

"Not much. A single habitable planet, the fourth distant from the star, the locals are friendly but don't go in for exploration much. There is a large city in the northern hemisphere." Tig answered.

"I think its worth checking out, lay in a course." Alhana said. The rest of the crew nodded, "Oh, before you all vanish. There were images of Khan posted in that bazaar, he spotted them before me and we managed to make it back here before anything happened. If you happen to see them in your explorations, destroy them."

There was a general murmur of approval before she dismissed them. She remained on the bridge with Kang and Akhil. Both were deep in conversation about the latest weapon developments and how they could modify the ship to accommodate them. Alhana eavesdropped while they spoke, they might have some viable suggestions and their conversation was far better than staring into the screen. There was nothing to read either and it passed the time. If only they could get the plasma coil fixed up, then she could think about upgrading the weapons systems. Still, their conversation was intriguing. "What have you found?" she asked, unable to keep silent anymore.

"There's a new guidance system for photon torpedoes." Kang said.

"We were thinking if we could apply the systems on this ship." Akhil said, a wicked smile crept onto her face.

"There's no reason why not." Alhana said.

"Really?"

"Coil first but the weapons system on this ship are so old, I know how you speak about it when you think I'm not listening," she said. The two weapons specialists exchanged glances and smirked to one another. "If you're serious about it, get me a report stating all the benefits of the upgrade, what it will cost and I'll look into it a bit more."

"Sounds good captain." Kang said. Akhil nodded along with him before they turned their conversation onto more mundane topics.

"How long will it take to get to Toraz?" she said.

"Two and a half days." Akhil replied after punching some buttons on her console. Alhana nodded and settled back into her seat, might as well get comfortable.


	8. Chapter 8

The journey to Toraz was uneventful; whoever thought space travel was exciting had never travelled in space. The majority of the time was spent reading dull communications they intercepted and staring at the stars. Some time she devoted to sparring with some of the crew but that usually left her more battered than she liked. She wasn't as strong as the Klingons but she always tried, usually took a beating for it but hey, if she didn't try she'd never win.

Facing her now was Tig, the large Klingon was bearing down on her fast; she raised a hand to block one blow only for him to feint and pound her midriff with his other. A whosh of air escaped her lung and she coughed. Growling, she pulled herself together and launched her own fist at Tig's head. She caught his cheek and followed the blow with a kick to the crotch. There was a burst of jeers from the audience as Tig's face coloured. Roaring, he caught her leg on the recoil and pulled. Alhana struck the floor with her shoulder. She winced but rolled away before he could pin her down and thus win the bout. On her feet once more, she dodged several quick blows. Countering with her left fist, she connected with his cranial ridges. Quicker than she was, Tig struck her right temple before she could raise her guard again. White light flickered across her vision and she staggered back. Wet sticky liquid pattered down her cheek as she sank to the floor. Blackness threatened to consume her as she sat stunned on her backside. She shook her head, refusing to give in to the darkness. Her vision cleared and she put her hand to her temple. He'd drawn blood!

"Captain?" Tig's voice drifted down to her and she looked up.

"I'm fine," she said climbing to her feet.

"Yeah!" he roared clapping her on the back, "That was an honourable fight." The rest of the watching crew cheered, even Khan gave them both a nod. "You managed to not faint, I need to hit harder next time!" Tig said, there was a huge smile on his face. Alhana touched her freely bleeding wound and laughed.

"I didn't hurt your hand did I?"

Tig looked at his fist and shrugged, "Who's next?" he demanded. Alhana walked to the side of the ring, grabbed a towel and pressed it against her temple. No one was forthcoming in his challenge; most of them had already fought that day, "Fine. If you're all too cowardly to fight, I suggest we drink." More cheers followed as Tig dragged one of the cargo crates with his name on over and prised it open. Inside were several bottles of thick red liquid. Bloodwine.

"How long have you had this Tig?" Alhana asked.

"Too long," he said laughing. He handed her a bottle and she popped the lid with her teeth. She took a long pull of the potent beverage and reveled in the sensation of the thick liquid easing down her throat. It settled with a warm sensation in the hollow of her stomach and she smiled. She spotted Khan with a bottle in his hand and decided he should be warned. He was sitting on one of the crates looking on with bemusement.

"Have you had Bloodwine before?" she asked. He looked at the bottle and shrugged.

"No."

"Its strong stuff, twice as good as Earth Whiskey." She said.

"I'll bear that in mind," he said. He removed the cap with far more grace than she ever thought possible and took a swig. His face was a picture. He swallowed the concoction with visible effort before sticking his tongue out, "Eugh, how do you stomach that?"

"It is an acquired taste," she said unable to quell a laugh.

"The aftertaste isn't so bad," Khan said after a moment.

"I can get you something else if you'd prefer."

"Thank you Captain, no. I'll stick with this." Khan said forcing himself to take another swig from the bottle. Alhana nodded and patted his knee.

"Very well," she said before moving away to find Akhil. Akhil was standing with Kang, they appeared to be deep in a conversation that ceased as soon as she approached, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Of course not Captain," Akhil said.

"I came to discuss the report, I'm glad to have caught you both at once."

They both looked at her expectantly. "Can we do it?"

"Yes, I'm impressed with the increase damage it will give us and you're both right in saying that the weapons are woefully inadequate for the types of job we run."

"Great!" Kang roared. He took a long drink from his bottle in celebration. Akhil clapped him on the back and gave a cheer of her own.

"The coil is our first priority though." Alhana said.

"Is the coil deficient?" This time it was Khan who had spoke.

"Yes. They're well known for a manufacturing flaw, it's why the Defence Force retired these vessels. The cloaking device can interfere with the engine function. Fortunately replacements are available but they are expensive – hence why we're doing anything for money." Alhana explained.

"Can they be repaired?"

"No."

Khan nodded as he digested this. "How close are you to having the money?"

"We still need half of it." She said. She took a drink from the bottle in her hand but she no longer felt like drinking.

"We'll get there Captain," Akhil said clapping her on the arm. Alhana nodded.

"I just hope it's before we experience critical failure." She said. The hot booze sank into her stomach and she smiled.

"How did she end up in such a condition?" Khan asked. Kang and Akhil exchanged glances before moving away in a hurry.

"What do you mean?" Alhana narrowed her eyes.

"This ship is falling apart." Khan said. "Why would you even buy a ship this old?"

"I didn't buy her."

"If you stole it you made a bad choice in get away vehicle."

"I didn't steal her either."

"They how di-"

"I won her, OK. About six years ago. She was grounded then and I did most of the repairs myself. I got her running; I fell out with my father over it and fled in her." Alhana snapped, "I haven't seen my family since." She said letting the volume of her voice fall once more. "This flying crap pile is my only home now."

Khan stood silently beside her for a moment, "I understand now." He said, "You should reconcile with your father." Alhana gave him a stunned look.

"What?"

"I just lost all my family. I'll never see those people whom I held so close alive anymore. I would give anything to see them once more yet there is no possibility of that. Make the most of the people you cherish because you never know when that option won't be there anymore," Khan said. Alhana placed her bottle of Bloodwine on a nearby crate, she didn't want it anymore. She yawned before she was able to catch herself.

"That's a pretty thing to say Khan and I'm genuinely sorry for those you've lost, people cannot be replaced and yet, during my exile, I have met some brilliant souls. The people here, on this ship, are my family now. I hope, should you decide to stay with us, you'll come to see them in the same way."

Khan looked as though he was going to say something then. His pale blue eyes softened just a fraction. As he opened his mouth, her watch buzzed, "Captain to the bridge."

"On my way," she said. "I'm sorry Khan," she said reaching out and patting his bicep, "I have to go."

"I understand," he said. She gave Khan an apologetic look before dashing off wondering what it could be. The chat with her newest friend hand confused her; maybe it was the Bloodwine making them both go soft in the head. It had happened before yet today it left her with a strange unsettling sensation that she couldn't place.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks to all of you who have read my little story, I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am writing it. I have a rough idea where this is going so stick with it. If you have any suggestions please feel free to leave a comment.**

**Thanks again**

The bridge was as calm as it ever was and Alhana wondered what she had been called for. "What's the problem?" Tavana pointed at the screen. Right in the centre looming in front of them was a Federation vessel, "Have they seen us?" Tavana nodded.

"They're waiting for you."

"On screen."

The click of a button brought the Captain of the other ship onto the visual. He was handsome, for a human, with sandy hair, blue eyes and a cheeky face. The look of confusion on his face when he saw her made her smile, "Not what you expected Captain?" she said.

"You're not a Klingon."

"And that's rather rude of you to point out my failings. I am half Klingon." She said raising her eyebrow

"My apologies." Alhana nodded an acceptance. "I am Captain James T Kirk of the Star ship Enterprise."

"What can we do for you Captain?" she asked.

"We're tracking a fugitive from Earth, we have reason to believe he has travelled to this part of the galaxy on a Klingon Warship. Naturally we saw you and-"

"And you assumed this person would be on board," Alhana said finishing the sentence for him. This was not what she needed after half a bottle of Bloodwine, "Why don't you tell me about this fugitive." She said settling back into her chair.

"He's dangerous; he'd look like an average human to you. I'll get a file over that would be easiest." Kirk said. Alhana nodded.

"Very well. If anything comes up I'll be in touch," she said.

"We're receiving a transmission Captain." Tavana said.

"Patch it through here." Tavana did so leaving Alhana to read through the notes the Enterprise had sent her. It was interesting and left her with a few questions of her own. She thought about hailing Kirk again but decided to go straight to the source instead. Alhana left the bridge and made her way to the crew quarters. She tapped on Khan's door, found it was unlocked and let herself in. The lights were on. Khan was sprawled face down on the bed, mostly naked with the half drunk bottle of Bloodwine still in his hand.

"Captain!" he said, rather too loudly as he rolled onto his back.

"Jeez Khan." She hissed unable to take her eyes from his lack of shirt. The only word that sprang to mind was chiselled. She dared not look below his waist lest her strength fail her. "Cover yourself up and we'll talk." She removed the Bloodwine from his hand, placed it on a nearby surface and turned away from him while he pulled a shirt over his head. She could still smell his scent though and it did strange things to her insides. He was all strength and virility, the tang of his sweat made her stomach do a back flip, she dismissed the sensation from her thoughts, making sure she kept a level face.

When she turned back she was almost sad to see him back in his black polo neck – almost. He'd propped himself up with his pillow and remained lounging in complete comfort. "What's the problem?"

"Do you know a James T. Kirk?" Alhana said sitting herself on the end of the bed. She sat with her legs crossed so she could face him.

"He is a most impertinent young ships captain. It was his first officer who was responsible for putting me in that room next to you and who was the one who killed my people." Khan said.

"So you'd be most upset to learn that they're a few kilometres away from us and have been asking after you." Alhana said. That got his attention. His spine stiffened and she could see the muscles in his jaw clench.

"What do they want?"

"You."

"What did they tell you?" All effects of the Bloodwine had now vanished and his blue eyes hardened.

"Is there anything you haven't said that I could learn from him that would upset me or compromise your role on this ship?" she said, matching his words with her own steel.

"Nothing I've not said before."

"So the murder of a Fleet Admiral didn't give you pause for thought?" she said.

"Are you going to turn me over?" Khan asked. The old sarcasm was creeping back into his voice, the muscles in his arms were tense, his eyes narrow.

"Of course not." Alhana said, "Why would you even think that? If I send you over its pretty damned obvious who it was you escaped with." She watched as he relaxed in front of her. His fists unclenched and he let out a breath. It was like watching a spring uncoil.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Lie," she said with a shrug. "I'll send them back in the direction we've come from, cloak us while we move on and hope we never see them again." Khan pondered her words for a while before nodding. "You should know I don't give up members of my crew just because someone bigger demands it," she said.

"One that I appreciate. Do you want to help me finish the wine?" he said. He settled back onto the pillow once more and stretched his long arms forwards almost as though he was reaching for her.

"Will you end up half naked again?"

"Only if that's what you want." He said.

"No Khan, I have work that needs to be done and it's best I stay sober for it." Alhana said, "Maybe another time." The glimmer of a smile ghosted his mouth and she turned to leave. When the door shut behind her, she released a breath that she hadn't realised she'd been holding. Getting the image of him out her head was going to be an endless struggle. It wasn't like he was that distinguished looking either, his face was altogether too narrow and his eyes too cold. And his mouth was a funny shape. The rational part of her mind told her that it was a bad idea to even consider doing anything. He was a human, albeit a modified one and there was no way she would ever do anything with a human. Ever. All the while, the irrational side of her mind flicked the image of him lying half naked on the bed. All these thoughts churned through her head as she made her way back to the bridge. Even as she entered, her head was still adrift.

"Tavana, open a link between us and the Enterprise," she demanded.

"Aye Captain."

A moment later, the bright young face of Captain Kirk filled the screen, "Greetings Captain," he said with a smile.

"I know where your fugitive is," she said not wasting a moment before getting to the point.


	10. Chapter 10

The look on Kirk's face when he comprehended what she was saying was something Alhana would carry with her forever. It took at least thirty seconds for it to sink in and when it did, she knew she had his undivided attention.

"My crew and I recently left the Xanthan star system. It was during this visit to the bazaar that he was seen. I believe it was in the northern province no more than five days ago," she said.

"Are you sure? What was he doing there?"

"I don't know, I didn't talk to him. We were there looking for work. He was moving among the crowd with an intention in mind but it was in the oppose direction to us." Alhana said. Kirk turned to a Vulcan in the background who seemed to be looking at a console. He nodded after a moment and Kirk turned back to her.

"Thank you Captain, Just answer something for me?" he said. Alhana swallowed.

"Yes?" she said.

"Why are you helping us?" Alhana was taken aback with the question. She frowned and looked away for a moment. "The Federation and the Defence Force don't have much of a history for cooperation."

Alhana smiled, "Oh Captain, that's where you're mistaken. The Defence Force don't take half-breeds, albino's or exiles either. We are an independent trading operation transporting goods from place to place."

"I see," Kirk said leaning back in his chair. Alhana wiped her sweating hands on her knees. "Well, thank you for the information."

"You're welcome."

"I'm sure we'll be in touch," Kirk said. The transmission was terminated and Alhana slumped in her chair.

"As soon as they're gone, get us out of here. Cloaked. I don't want to see that ship for another month at least." She said.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Tavana said as she tapped at the console in front of her.

"So do I," she said. Presently, the Enterprise disappeared from the visualiser and dashed off in the direction she'd pointed them. As soon as she was certain they were gone, Alhana gave the order and they disappeared. The cloaking device made an awful noise as it kicked in but it settled soon enough. "I'm going to take a shower," Alhana said, "Call if anything else happens." Tavana nodded and she left the bridge.

The rest of the trip remained blissfully uneventful. There was no sign of any other ship in the immediate vicinity, so dropping into orbit around Toraz was no problem. Alhana turned the cloaking device off and ordered her crew down to the surface to look for the missing Vulcan or anything else of interest. She'd opted to remain behind and look into some of the engineering reports that had been mounting. It was dull yet she owed Vrenn and Ranka the attention they deserved. The two engineers indicated they were in need of assistance with keeping the engines going. Small jobs were turning into big problems, all developing from the point when Trag, the third engineer, had left them. Khan had mentioned something about engineering and he'd proven he was a quick study when Tavana had shown him her station. Maybe it was time to assign him a proper role within the ship; he'd been there for ten days now.

"Alhana?" Tig's voice drifted over the intercom.

"What you got?" she asked.

"No sign of the Vulcan but there's a transport contract that'll be good for us," he said.

"Details?"

"Come down here and find out." The com snapped shut. "Maglin, Emony, watch this ship for the next hour or so. Contact me if anything happens," They nodded.

The warm buzz of the transport had hardly left her before she strode towards her friend. The planet was warm to the point of being arid; dust swirled around her feet in small eddies, twisting this way and that. The hot wind licked at her red curls, pulling them into disarray. Alhana pushed them out the way and joined Tig. He was stood with an ancient human man whose eyes were hard and cruel. "So, tell me the details," she said foregoing any introduction.

"I need several crates of ah – foodstuffs transporting to Cestus III," he said. His voice was as harsh as the lines etched onto his face.

"Nothing live, nothing that can foul, I don't want to spend the next week cleaning cargo bays." Alhana said.

"It's all sealed, see for yourself," he replied. She walked over to one of the crates and he kicked it open. As far as she could see it was full of regular food rations, she waved Tig over for a look. He growled an agreement before returning to his regular job of looming.

"How much do you have?"

"How much can you carry?"

"I have a D-12 Klingon Bird of Prey with a standard cargo bay." She replied, "Nothing in storage at present."

"I can fill your hold." He said. Alhana nodded, his direct way of speaking made a nice change from the usually floral speech of other races.

"Now it's just a question of price," she said.

"Five Thousand Darsaks." It was a tone not to be argued with. Alhana made herself appear as though she was considering it. Inside, her heart was pounding; it was more than enough to get the ship fixed. "Half now, half on delivery." He said. Alhana extended her hand.

"Done." He took it and gave a firm handshake. He handed her a bag filled with the promised amount.

"I'll send the co-ordinates to your ship," he said as he tapped into a device on his arm. Alhana nodded.

"Tig, time to get going," she said. Her friend grunted and she gave the order. Shimmering light engulfed them and transported them back to the Warbird. Only then did she turn to the large Klingon, "Five Thousand Darsaks!" she said unable to keep the smile from her face any longer. Tig's face erupted with a case of the grins, showing broken teeth.

"It is a good day."

"Call the others back," Alhana said stepping from the transporter. She walked to the bridge with a huge smile on her face; this was turning into a profitable day. The moment she claimed the chair on the bridge, her communicator flashed, displaying the exact amount of crates and their location. A few minutes later, her crew was back on board, eager to learn what had happened.

In less than an hour, the crates were aboard and stashed in the cargo bay and the ship was underway. The four day course was laid in, the crew began moving in their regular patterns. The life of the ship beat on as it always did during these flights. It was during the second day of the flight that the rhythm was interrupted. The sound of something falling brought Alhana out of her deep sleep. Another loud bang had her up, dressed and in the cargo bay in half a minute. What she found was the last thing she expected. Khan had someone pinned against the side of the bay by the shoulders. His face was contorted as he held the slender form in place.

"What's going on?" she bellowed.

"Alhana, I found a stowaway in the crates. He planned to kill us and take the ship." He said pushing harder against the figure. A sharp cry died on the lips of the intruder.

"Bring him to the Brig," she said. Khan knocked the intruder across the face and it slumped forwards. He easily lifted it over his shoulder and fell in behind Alhana. She led him to the Brig, opened a cell and beckoned for Khan to throw the intruder in. He dumped him unceremoniously on the floor and stepped out the cell. It was only when she locked the cell that she noticed that the intruder was a young Vulcan lad who had been reported missing some days before.


	11. Chapter 11

"So tell me again what happened," Alhana said. She ran a hand over her face and let out a sigh. Khan crossed the room with two cups of steaming hot coffee in his hand. Handing them both to her, he dragged another chair over before sitting opposite her. The Brig wasn't the best place to sit and drink coffee but she wanted to be there when the Vulcan awoke.

"Tig asked me to check the cargo bay after he thought he heard a disturbance. I did as he asked like a good minion should," Alhana couldn't ignore the sarcasm as he spoke, "When I got there, I found that climbing out of a hold. I decided to hide behind one of the crates to see if I could learn anything. Nothing was forthcoming so I opted for what I thought would be the Klingon way."

Alhana laughed despite herself, "What made you think he was here to tae the ship?"

"He said so himself, during the fight." Alhana turned to look at the prisoner in the Brig, he was still out cold.

"What kind of idiot sneaks on board a Klingon vessel and attempts to take it," she said thinking out loud.

"There was no way he was going to win, not with me on board as well," Khan said. Alhana nodded ignoring the boasting of her friend.

"How long will he be out for?" she said forcing herself not to yawn. Khan shrugged.

"I hit him fairly hard, it could be a while."

"As soon as I leave this room he'll wake up," she said as she sipped her coffee

"Are you tired?" Khan asked.

"Rather not quite awake yet, I was in deep sleep when I heard the banging." This time, she didn't bother to stifle the yawn. Khan set his coffee down on the floor and gifted her with a warm smile, even his steel blue eyes softened. He stood and moved to stand behind her. Cool hands touched her shoulders and applied gentle pressure to the base of her neck. "What're you doing?"

"Just relax. I'm not going to harm you if that's what you think." Khan's sardonic tone stung.

"Why would I assume that?" she asked as he pressed his fingertips into the points on her neck.

"You have strange ridges on the back of your neck," he said.

"Of course I do." She replied. He said no more as he manipulated the points. Alhana felt the lingering sleep leaving her body, it was as though Khan had flicked a switch and she brought her back to life. Warmth flooded through her and the touch of his fingers reminded her of something long thrown aside. When he withdrew his hands she felt the loss keenly. No way was she going to let Khan know that though, she stretched her neck and nodded. "Neat trick."

"One learned hundreds of years ago," he said with the wave of a hand. He returned to his chair and resumed drinking his coffee. The silence expanded between them, Alhana wondered whether it would be worth having Tig bring some reports to her so she could check through them. Maybe she could look into prices for a new plasma coil and sources as well.

"How's the work in engineering coming along?" she asked. She'd assigned Khan when they'd left in the hope that he'd be able to assist with the build up of work.

"I didn't think I would enjoy such work and yet, it reminds me of my studies when I was a young lad in India. The tasks are simple enough and it' good getting my hands dirty."

"What was it like?"

"College?"

"No, you're life before you got frozen."

Khan smiled, not warmly, a slight tugging at the side of his mouth made it more of a sneer, "It was a violent time and yet, my fellow augments and I were treated well by those that were loyal to us. Joaquin was my bodyguard, and I ruled over most of Asia. During that time I brought peace to the thousands. It was something a vicious few rejected. My people were forced into exile or murdered for their valiant efforts." Khan said.

"I see."

"Earth's people were not ready for unity. It was their loss. Our plan when we escaped was to create a new world, a superior world on a new location. Now my people are dead and I am fixing your ship."

"A bit of a change then." Alhana said finishing off her coffee.

"I am not accustomed to taking orders," he said placing his own cup on the floor.

"I don't mind being questioned so long as it is valid. I'm not perfect and my crew knows it. They'd be idiots to not ask questions and I expect the same from you. That said, I don't like being questioned in front of non crew members," she said.

"We wouldn't want to look weak in front of the other Klingons would we?"

"That's exactly the point Khan. If we appear weak we will be destroyed and I don't know about you but I rather like living."

Khan laughed, it was a genuine sound, deep rich peals tumbled from his mouth and Alhana found herself laughing along, "I have to agree." He said

Slight movement drew Khan' gaze away from her, following it showed their prisoner was stirring. Alhana rose and stretched, "Let's see what we can learn." Khan nodded.

"Vulcan!" she said tapping the bars. He moaned and looked around. There was an ugly swelling forming on the side of his head, "T'Kir." His reaction to his name told her who he was. He looked around and pulled himself into a sitting position. "What are you doing on my ship?" she demanded. He coughed before turning to face her. He betrayed no emotion, his posture was relaxed, his shoulders at ease.

"I will answer no questions until I have had some water," he said. His voice was tight, husky and dry. Alhana nodded, Khan fetched the required water and handed it to the prisoner. She gave him a moment.

"I will show no more mercy until I have answers, why are you here?"

"Tulak sent me to protect the cargo. I was to gain control of the ship and fly it to its destination myself."

"For what reason?"

"It would be illogical to pay someone else to accomplish this when I was capable of flying this ship myself." He said.

"I've heard enough," Alhana said. She turned away, Khan followed, they walked into the adjacent room, "Options?"

"We can hardly let him free. If it was me, I would kill him," Khan said folding his arm across his chest. Alhana nodded, digesting what he'd said.

"There might come a time for that, at the moment, his parents are offering a reward for his safe return."

"More money for the coil." She nodded.

"Then post guards at all times."

"Wise move." She said. "Go and inform our prisoner that we are yet to decide his fate. Keep him sweating for a while."

"That I would be more than happy to do." Khan said. The grin on his face was disturbing. She let him leave first before heading off to find Tig. He'd be anxious to know what had happened.


	12. Chapter 12

Sitting aboard the bridge, Alhana watched as the ship was guided into orbit around Cestus III. The planet was under the flag of the Federation so the cloaking device was engaged. She wasn't keen on using it but being captured by Star Fleet again was an even less attractive alternative. "We've got the upper hand here," Tig said, "They'll be expecting that Vulcan instead. If we go in, disruptors firing, we stand to make the money we need."

"We could use the Vulcan as bait," Kang said turning in his seat, "Lure them out and take our revenge that way."

"Or we can do both," Khan said. The crew turned to look at him. He was leaning against the doorframe listening in to what they were discussing. "We stand to gain something for returning the Vulcan to his parents as well remember? We should send him in first, keep our weapons on him. Let him lure his associates out into the open; then we can deal with them, recapture him and take him home."

"How do we know he won't tell them?" Tig said.

"Count on that he will," Khan said, "He'll inform them, they won't know where you are, you start firing – a few well placed shots should be enough to get the job done."

Tig nodded, "Alright, I'll inform our guest the plan and ensure his co-operation." He arose and strode away.

"Our role will be to assist?" Khan said. It was more a statement than a question.

"Is that wise?" Maeill said. "There will be Star Fleet agents down there."

"The co-ordinates are away from the built up areas of the planet, we'll be fine," Alhana said.

"They will not capture us again." Khan said. "I will not let that happen." Alhana liked the way he was so sure of that. Being back in a Federation building was not something she ever wanted to experience again. Tavana exchanged a glance with her and she gave a slight shrug.

"Let's go."

The location was as remote as they thought; the middle of the jungle to be exact. It provided the best cover for their plan. Large leaves and dense undergrowth covered the ground while tall trees formed a thick canopy that the bright sun barely penetrated through. The small beams of light gave enough to see by but it was pale in comparison to the clearing they had surrounded.

A communication had been sent to the recipients of the crates. Tig had forced the young Vulcan to send the message, deluding their targets into thinking the plan had gone as they thought. Khan and Tig were on one side of the clearing, Alhana and Kang on the other. Somewhere in the area Maglin and Akhil were scouting for look outs and anyone else who might ruin their plot.

The cramp in Alhana's thigh told her they'd been there for far too long; she shifted her weight and checked her watch. Three minutes and they'd know for sure. Kang next to her stretched his leg out and checked the disrupter in the holster at his hip. The smile on his face meant it was ready for use. His knife on the other hip was free in the sheath and he looked every bit ready for a fight. She checked her own weapons; ready as they ever would be. Humming filled the air and a bright light drew her attention. Moments later, T'Kir was standing in the clearing, he had one of the crates with him and he was alone as per the instructions of the targets.

A few seconds later, the clearing lit up again and seven burly figures appeared. One was a Gorn, two were Romulan, and the rest were human. All of them looked as though they were ready for a fight. Good, a fight was welcome. Keeping a close eye on the conversation was easy, keeping her hand from drawing and firing was not. Khan had said that waiting for the right moment was key and she not going to be the one to mess things up. She forced her hand back down to her side and watched hastily exchanged words. T'Kir looked around the clearing; the gaze of his accomplices followed his. Kang tensed beside her; she held her breath. Everything became clear, all background noise ceased. This was it.

Kang drew and fired at the same time she did. Two shots fired from the opposite side of the clearing. Four of the seven fell to the ground unmoving. The remaining three, the Gorn, a Romulan and a human ducked behind whatever cover they could find. T'Kir dropped to the ground, his hands covering his head. Now the shooting began in earnest. Alhana fired her disrupter at the Gorn but he'd placed himself in such a way that a clear shot was impossible. She kept hitting the huge tree instead. Kang, who was next to her, grunted in frustration before moving on and finding a different target. Her heart hammered in her chest as she tried to aim for the Romulan instead. She could see his foot poking out from the shrub he was using as cover. It took a few shots but he got him, as he howled out from behind the bush, a shot from the other side dealt with him.

A shout from behind her turned her attention; Kang took a couple of quick shots, saving her from the rage of a Romulan scout. She nodded a thank you before continuing to fire into the clearing. "Akhil, try and sneak around the back while we have them occupied." A malevolent grin spread on her face and she snuck off back into the jungle. She resumed firing on the two remaining foes, a trickle of sweat ran down her forehead and into her eyes. She blinked it away, ignoring the stinging sensation that spread. Another disadvantage of not having cranial ridges, they channelled the sweat away from the eyes. Come on, come on, Akhil should be there by now. Her disrupter was getting hot in her hand, it was an old model, maybe it was time to get a new one. Still, she continued to fire. Shots echoed back at her, the metallic zing of phaser blasts zipped past her ear, too close that time.

An abrupt scream which ended too soon caused her to stop firing. She peeked out from the tree she'd been using as cover. Akhil was there, her hands around the throat of the Romulan; the Gorn was dead. The sound of disrupter fire ceased. Alhana holstered her weapon and stepped into the clearing. Kang followed. Tig and Khan joined them after a moment. T'Kir got to his feet but remained silent. Alhana inspected the bodies lying on the ground, "This one isn't dead!" she said kicking the human onto his back

"You've no idea what you've started!" he said. His voice was husky, barely above a whisper, "Our boss will come for you."

"Don't make me laugh. You're inferior leader will soon fall." Khan said striding over. There was a cut on his temple which dribbled blood but he hadn't noticed. He placed a booted foot on the man's chest, "Shall I kill him?" he asked. Alhana nodded. A quick gesture followed by a wet squash ensured the deed was done.

"Let's search them and get going, I don't want to be here longer than we have to be." Alhana said. The crew nodded agreement and began searching for anything of value.


	13. Chapter 13

There was only one thing left to do; get rid of T'Kir. The young Vulcan had said nothing to them when they dragged him back to the ship. His silence continued when they threw him in the brig and as far as Alhana knew, he was still silent now. She'd ordered the ship to Vulcan, a risky location but one she was willing to take. The cloak had held while they were in orbit on Cestus III and there was no reason for it to fail now. There would be a lot of Star Fleet ships in the area so it would have to be a quick exchange made by the crew. The Vulcan population would be aware of both her and Khan so doing it herself would be out of the question. Sending Khan would not be an option either, his love of violence – although handy, would not be needed for this mission.

Then it would be finding the parts to repair the plasma coil and getting to a suitable location so it could be fixed. Maybe it was time to scan the Star Charts to find somewhere. Alhana stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. It always felt good to be clean again after a mission. She left the shower unit just as Khan was about to enter. She gave him a knowing smile, "Nothing beats it after a fight."

"I couldn't agree more," he said with a glimmer of a smile.

"When you're done, I'd like your assistance with the Star Charts," she said. It would be the best opportunity to show him how the ship displayed them and to help familiarise him with this section of the galaxy.

"Of course."

Khan met her in the rec-room where the main access for the chart system was. The console was a back up for the one on the bridge and although it wasn't the most modern of systems, it worked well. "Has Tig or Mindor shown you how this works yet?" she asked as she logged into the system.

"No."

"OK, you can see the course plotted out already here," she said indicating a red line between two planets. Their ship was represented by a flashing red dot. There were initials next to the line which told her Tig had programmed the course. "Can you read Klingon?"

"No," Khan replied, "But I will learn it."

"You'll find it useful."

"I have a few words already that I have picked up from engineering. I will put effort into learning it from now on," he said.

"I have no doubt you'll pick it up quickly."

"Continue," he said pointing at the screen.

"If you tap this button here, it will bring up all the stars in the current area, you can zoom in and out here," Khan leaned over her as she spoke focusing entirely on the screen. Was he unaware of how close he was to her? She could feel the warmth radiating from him through the fabric of her clothes. She swallowed before continuing, "If you want to find a specific planet, you can do a look up search here." She demonstrated by typing in Vulcan. Moments later, the target planet appeared.

"I see." His breath brushed passed her ear; she shivered.

"From here you can plot in a course to the target planet. Of course, if you wanted to go to any particular co-ordinates, all you need to do is enter them here and the ship will go there." Alhana explained

"It's rather simple then."

"Yes, we're only Klingons, best to keep things on the simple side," Alhana laughed.

"But you're half human," Khan said picking up a strand of her hair and moving it out of his face.

"So I'm doubly disadvantaged."

"I wouldn't say that," Khan said. The half smile on his face made her raise an eyebrow but she remained silent, turning her attention back to the console.

"What we need to do is find somewhere we can orbit the ship for the duration of the repairs. Somewhere we won't be noticed or disturbed. We can purchase the parts from Orion easily enough. I'll send Tig to pick up the parts, along with Vrenn, they both know what they're looking for." Alhana said.

"Where would be the best place?"

"Somewhere quiet, maybe on the fringes of the Klingon Empire, we won't be out of place when we're uncloaked and Star Fleet won't go there," she said.

"How about there?" Khan said pointing to a red star system.

"Boreth IV is heavily patrolled by the Klingon Defence Force. It's a significant mining colony." Alhana said.

"There is this one then." Khan pointed to another star system not too far from the first one.

"That's Kayvok, a likely possibility in all honesty. It's far enough away from anywhere so we won't be noticed and not too far it'll take a while to get there," Alhana said with a nod. "Any other suggestions?"

Khan leaned forward some more, forcing Alhana to bend too. She could feel his heart beating as his chest pressed against her spine. Her knees began to tremble, it took a deep breath to get them to be still once more. "Here."

"Bortas, it's also another possibility, although a little further than the first."

"Why do we not examine the first one and if it proves unworthy then go on to the second." Khan said. Alhana nodded.

"Yes." She said. "We'll plot that in as soon as we're done on Vulcan."

"I'll be able to read it by then." Khan said straightening up, "I appreciate the lesson." She couldn't help feel a little shiver as he withdrew his warmth from her. She shut the console down.

"I have some books that will help you if you want to use them," she said.

"That would be most useful."

She motioned for Khan to follow her. Moments later they were back at her quarters. Alhana reached under her bed and pulled out a box, "These things belonged to my mother," she said as she lifted it onto the bed. She pulled the lid off, it was full of books. Khan sat down on the other end of the bed to her and looked inside. His eyes had widened a fraction and his breath had caught in her throat. "I took them before I fled."

"These are wonderful," he said.

"You like reading?"

"I did a lot of it before I was frozen."

"Then you can help yourself whenever you want. I'll find somewhere safe to put them so you can get them whenever." Khan picked one of the bound books up and turned the page as though it could break at any time. The characters were in Klingon yet he scanned the page as though he was reading it. "There are some in English and I think Spanish."

"I speak those." Khan said replacing the book.

"Take a few with you," Alhana said.

Khan looked up with a genuine smile on his face, his pale blue eyes danced as he met her own dark ones. "Thank you." He said. It was heart felt and she smiled back.

"You're welcome."

He looked through the box some more, he picked out a large tome and inhaled sharply. "Paradise Lost!" he exclaimed.

"There is a copy in Klingon too, it's what my mother used to learn to read."

"I shall follow the example of your mother then. She is a wise woman to pick such a tale." He said.

"Here," she said handing him the Klingon copy. He took it from her with a smile and turned away.

"I will see you later," he said before leaving. Alhana found that her room felt strangely large without his presence in it.


	14. Chapter 14

New Vulcan. The giant red planet below them was surrounded by docking stations. Countless ships of many shapes and sizes buzzed back and forth like a host of worker bees taking cargo to and from the planet. The colony had been set up for a few years now but by the look of it, there was still a lot of work going on. The Vulcan ships were not the problem; the Star Fleet vessels on the other hand, if they got a sniff they were here, there would be major trouble. Alhana knew they had neither the fire power nor the warp power to take on a Federation vessel.

"We'll be fine." Tig said.

"I have no doubt." Alhana replied.

Tig was to lead the party, Kang, Tavana and Maeill, the Romulan, were going with him. The hand over was to take place in an hour. T'Kir had remained silent throughout the rest of the journey, refusing to engage in any conversation or interaction with the crew. He'd remained sat on the floor of his cell ignoring everything around him. He had drunk only water and refused any food. The most troubling point of the whole thing was who he could be working for. He's threatened them with retribution of some sort but had refused to elaborate when questioned. She'd left strict instructions about leaving no mark on him either so physical techniques were useless. Maybe it was nothing, just idle threats, somehow she didn't think so.

"We're ready." Tig said snapping her out of her thoughts.

"The prisoner is in the transporter room." Kang's disembodied voice said through the crackling comm system.

"We're on our way." Alhana said. She nodded at Akhil before following Tig to the transporter. Khan was in there, keeping the prisoner restrained. T'Kir's arm was twisted behind his back but his face remained a non expressive mask. Not unusual for a Vulcan however. Tig stepped onto the transport pad.

"Ready."

"Be in touch." Alhana said. Khan released T'Kir into Kang's capable hands and moved to stand beside Alhana. He was just a tiny bit too close, she could smell him, a lump rose in her throat that she couldn't quite swallow yet she did not step forward. She was not going to let a small distraction like this intimidate her.

"We will be back within two hours." Tig said.

"Go." Alhana said. The swirling pattern of the transporter kicked in and her friends disappeared in a warm glow. She took a deep breath, "Now for the worst part."

"Waiting?"

"Yes."

"What would you normally do in this situation?"

"Fight."

"Do you wish to fight?" Khan said. He pushed black hair back from his face.

"I don't know. I should do, I don't want to get out of practice." Alhana said.

"It doesn't have to be for long."

"And you might learn something new." Alhana said. Khan raised both eyebrows, she laughed. "Well? Are you versed in the use of a D'k tagh?" she said beginning to walk away. Khan followed.

"I have fought with blades before," he said with a nod.

"Go and fetch a pair from the weapons room. I will inform the bridge of our actions and meet you in the cargo bay." Alhana said. Khan nodded and they parted for the moment

Sweat ran into Alhana's eyes and she brushed it away with the back of her hand. Her lungs sucked in air; they felt more like deflated balloons than organs used for breathing. She tossed a glare at her sparring partner; he wasn't having half as much trouble as she was. His breathing was normal and the light sweat on his brow hardly touched his hairline. Her own locks were plastered to the back of her neck and scratched when she moved.

Her hand tightened on her D'k tagh and she darted forward. She feinted left before darting to the left. Khan caught her right hand and applied pressure on her wrist. She used her own momentum to twist away, this time; she kept the grip on her blade as she broke free. "Better!" Khan shouted. He followed her round; she brought the blade up and blocked the blow to her face. His knuckles grazed the blade and a trickle of blood began to seep through. Alhana had an equal number of wounds on her own body. The sting was easy to ignore, even when the sweat seeped into it, making them scream. His next move sent her sprawling across the floor. She landed with a thud; the air driven from her lungs. She coughed and struggled to her knees. Heavy footsteps pounded towards her. She gripped her knife and waited for her opponent to stop beside her. As he stopped she brought the hilt down onto the bridge of his foot. A surprised yelp made her smile.

"How's that?" she said pulling herself upright.

"Not what I expected."

"Good." She took a deep breath and flicked wet hair out her face. "Are you hurt?" The flat look her gave her spoke more than any word.

"Are you?" She shook her head, "Do you want to carry on?"

"Why not?"

Khan smiled and moved to the other end of the cargo bay. "Just hands this time," he said. Alhana threw her dagger to the side and jumped up and down a couple of times. This time, he came for her. She was ready for the blow he aimed at her head. She ducked under it and sprang left, avoiding the follow up blow from his other hand. She kicked his calf but the aim was off, causing nothing more than an inconvenience rather than sending him to the floor. She danced back, dodging another swing and brought her arm round to block a sharp jab. The force was more than she anticipated and she reeled backwards. Damn it how could he remain so calm? His leg caught hers and she tottered backwards. Flailing, she grabbed at air before falling. She landed on her butt with a thud.

"Good dodging." Khan said. Alhana clambered up once more and nodded.

"I am going to have a few bruises tomorrow. You have blood on you, I didn't think I cut you so much." Khan looked at his hands and forearms.

"It will heal. Are we done?" he asked.

"I need a shower," she said nodding.

"It's been an hour and a half, Tig will be back soon." Khan said

"We need to get out of here." Alhana said as she walked to the door, "Too many Star Fleet vessels in this neighbourhood."

Khan nodded, "I agree."

As they left the cargo bay, a horrendous clatter sounded deep inside the ship. It was followed by a dying whir. Alhana looked at Khan, "That was the plasma coil." She said. As she broke into a run, the comm system hailed her.

"Captain. The plasma coil has overloaded the cloaking device. We're visible." It was Ranka who spoke.

"Have we been spotted Akhil?" she said. "Khan; engineering." He nodded and she turned to the bridge.

"It's only a matter of time."

She catapulted onto the bridge and into her chair. "Tig?"

"Captain." He answered instantly.

"We need to go. We're visible. We shall return for you as soon as we can."

"Go!"

"Mindor, take us to the nearest planet in the next system." The Orion punched the system and the ship began to move. The next question on her mind was had they been spotted?


	15. Chapter 15

Only when they were ay from Vulcan and hiding behind an asteroid did Alhana allow herself to breathe a little easier. The report from engineering was not great; it would take twenty four hours to get the cloaking device back up and running. The trouble had been caused by a fluctuation in the plasma coil; it was now operating normally according to Vrenn. Her thoughts turned to those she'd been forced to leave behind on Vulcan. Hopefully they'd be able to find a place to hide until they returned, which would have to be after the cloak was fixed, that couldn't be helped.

Alhana was about to go and see if there was anything she could do, she wasn't the most competent engineer but she knew enough to keep the ship running. Maybe another pair of hands would be useful. She was prevented by Akhil. "It's that star ship captain again." She said. "He wants to talk to you again."

"The same one as before?"

"Yes."

"What on Praxis does he want now?" Alhana said, more to herself than anyone. They must have seen them before they fled Vulcan. "Put him through." The handsome face of the young Captain appeared once more and Alhana painted her best smile on her face, "We meet again."

"Sooner than I thought too," he said, "Good day Captain."

"How can I help? We're a little busy repairing our ship at the moment but I will do my best to assist you."

"Actually, there is something you can do for me Ms De Torres," Kirk said, the smile on his face was bordering on smug. She wanted nothing more than to beat it from his features.

"Oh?"

"You can explain how you managed to escape Star Fleet custody two weeks ago. Why you lied to me the other day when we asked about the fugitive and what you hope to achieve by allowing him to escape." Kirk said. His eyes narrowed, there would be no point trying to feign ignorance, he was too intelligent for that.

Alhana smiled as she swung in her chair a little, "The manner of my escape is simple. I'm sure you watched the video on your screens and don't need me to explain it to you again."

"Please, explain away."

"Very well. I dislocated my thumb to get out the cuffs attaching me to the bed. My companion merely broke his cuffs. The rest was a case of fighting our way out the building and allowing my shipmates to beam us out." Alhana said. It seemed so simple now after the event.

Kirk nodded, "What did you do with him once here?"

"What any sensible being would have. I shot him and threw him in the brig." Kirk exchanged a glance with someone off screen.

"And then?"

"We talked. We discussed some interesting points about his situation; how his crew were killed by a member of your crew, how he'd been used by Star Fleet to develop weapons to use against my people. Rather fascinating really. I knew humans were capable of dishonourable acts but that was illuminating." Alhana said, keeping her tone level.

"What did you do with him?"

"Anxious to get him back?"

Another crew member moved to stand behind the Captain's chair. He was a young Vulcan, not dissimilar looking to T'Kir. His face was serious when he raised his head to speak to her. "He is a particularly dangerous man, responsible for the deaths of many, including the Captain here."

"He looks fine to me," Alhana said before she could stop herself.

"I was healed by the restorative power Khan had in his blood." Kirk said. Alhana nodded, interesting, she'd have to ask about that detail later. "That's beside the point, where is he?" Beside the point indeed, if Star Fleet had the ability to cure death what would that mean for everyone else in the galaxy?

"Truthfully? I don't know." She said, "I saw no reason for our alliance to continue and neither did he. I let him go on Cestus III and have heard nothing since."

"How do we know you are telling the truth?"

"You don't." she said with a shrug.

"Would you mind if we came aboard?" Kirk said.

"Are you simple? This is a D-12 class Warship. Admittedly she has had some modifications done and she has seen better days. We may not be members of the Klingon Empire but I'll be damned if I will be the one to give Star Fleet her secrets. I know you don't have cloaking technology."

"It would appear that you do not either," the Vulcan said.

"You're not coming aboard this ship." Alhana said with a cutting gesture of her hand. "I mean no disrespect but I fear the Empire's retribution more than yours." This much was the truth at least.

"We could just beam aboard." Kirk said.

"Where would that get you?" she asked folding her arms, "Except surrounded by a large amount of angry Klingons?" and one very pissed off generically engineered human, "You'd be thrown in the brig and turned over to the Empire."

"You are no friend of the Empire."

"Trespassing aboard my ship would make you my enemy. The Empire is not my enemy." Alhana said. She was trying to keep the edge from her voice. She let out a deep breath and relaxed her grip on her chair.

"I don't suppose you're willing to wait for us while we journey to Cestus III and check your story?" Kirk said.

"I have work to do Captain." She replied. "I cannot wait around for you to search the galaxies for a fugitive."

Kirk seemed to ponder her words for a moment before shifting his weight in his chair, "What were you doing near Vulcan?"

"Working." She said.

"On what?"

"I don't think I have to tell you that." Alhana replied. "Is there anything else Captain? I have a ship to fix."

"Just one thing, why were you so eager to avoid being seen while around Vulcan?" he said. Alhana rolled her eyes.

"In case you forgot, I am a half Klingon flying around in a Klingon War ship in Federation space. I have business on Vulcan but this would scream suspicious. Low and behold, here you are and we're having this conversation." Alhana said folding her arms, "Are we done?"

"We'll be in touch Captain." Kirk said. She nodded and the screen returned to displaying the stars. Sighing, she got to her feet and glanced around the bridge. Akhil nodded and Alhana left for engineering.

When she arrived, Khan and Vrenn were busy. There was a host of tools scattered on the floor and some hastily shouted words battering back and forth. "Hey!" she shouted. They both looked around. "Any news?"

"We can get this fixed in twenty hours, more or less." Vrenn said

"Normally I'd sing praises at that but we need it done faster, I've just sent the _Enterprise_ off to Cestus III on another chase but chances are they won't be gone for long. They're really pissed at you Khan." She said looking at him. "Anything you can do to get this done faster?"

"Some of these parts are fried, it's going to take a lot to bodge it together and get it working again." Vrenn said. Alhana nodded.

"I know you'll do everything you can." Alhana said. "Khan will help." He inclined his head a touch. "Call me if you have anything to report." She turned away and headed back to her own room. The door had barely shut before it hushed opened again.

"Wait."

"What's the problem Khan?" Alhana said. The sweat from their fight earlier was beginning to stink and the bruises to appear. All she wanted to do was shower and maybe catch a couple of hours sleep.

"There is no problem."

"Then what do you want?"

"I know how petulant Kirk can be. I feel I should thank you once again for hiding me." Khan said. He placed his hands on her shoulders and smiled that enticing smile of his. Blood rushed to her cheeks but she held his intense gaze, refusing to back down. "I'm grateful."

"It's OK." Alhana said. He trailed his hands down to her forearms and gave them a gentle squeeze. "Was there something else?" she said.

"No," he said. "I will return to the cloaking device." He released her and she watched him go. She starred at the door long after it had shut. Shaking her head she decided to hit the shower, at least that would make her feel a bit more comfortable.


	16. Chapter 16

The shower had been wonderful, the water had flushed away the sweat and with it a lot of the stress of her last interview. Wrapped in a towel, Alhana sat in front of a mirror and brushed out her thick auburn hair. She hated her low hairline; it had caused her more than a fair share of grief when she was a child and even now it reminded her that she was only a half Klingon. No one would ever want to ally with her, make her a part of their house or have much to do with her. It had been a tough lesson to learn as a child and caused more than one or two arguments in her family. One that was still on going it would seem. She pushed her wet hair back from her head and smiled. It wasn't so bad, she had a ship, some decent friends and she was free to go where she wanted. She stretched, dressed and headed to the bridge with a yawn. There would be time for sleep later, right now; they had to get Tig, Tavana and Kang back.

"Is that ship still there?" she said as she entered the bridge.

"Yes."

"Shit! Why are they hanging around here?" she said, more to herself than anyone else.

"Probably waiting for you to get on with that work you mentioned we had to do." Akhil said.

"More than likely," Alhana said with a laugh. "Plot a course back to Vulcan, nice and steady; give the lads fifteen hours to repair the cloak."

"As you wish," Mindor said. The ship whirred to life under the capable hands of the Orion navigator. As the Warbird moved, the _Enterprise_ drifted from the screen and they began the slow journey back to Vulcan. Alhana only hoped they wouldn't follow them again.

The Warbird steadily flew her way back to New Vulcan, the journey was about as interesting as watching the construction of a toilet block on Praxis. There were no communications to translate and nothing she could do in the engine room except getting in the way. Alhana found that she missed the banter that passed between Kang and Tavana, even Tig and Kang's bickering would be better than the eerie silence they left behind. The three Klingon's had been a part of the crew for so long that them not being there was the same as not having the cloaking device.

Mindor and Akhil were relieved by Maeill and Emony, she considered going for some sleep herself but the thought of Khan and Vrenn working as hard as they could kept her in her seat. She resorted to reading the records for nearby trading planets. They still had the cargo from T'Kir to shift; she was unsure what it was for that matter. Something she should go and investigate further before she considered selling it on.

They were just over half way to Vulcan when Emony looked up from her scanner, "We're being followed."

"Fucking Star Fleet!" Alhana said, "Poking their nose in where it isn't wanted! How far behind us are they?"

"Far enough to appear as though they are travelling to the same destination without it looking like a chase," she replied.

"I should have known." Alhana grumbled. "Engineering?"

"Yes?" It was Vrenn.

"How soon can we have the cloak working? The _Enterprise_ has decided to follow us back to New Vulcan," she said.

"Work is coming along well but we're still a few hours off."

"Keep me informed," she said before cutting them off. "Emony, are they getting any closer?"

"Not that I can see Captain."

"Good, keep watching and if anything changes, tell me." Alhana said. Emony returned to her scanner. If they could get the cloak fixed, it would be much easier to lose the _Enterprise_; still, if it came to it, she'd get her crew beamed back on board the warp away with as much speed as they could muster. "How long before we arrive?"

"We still have fourteen hours and ten minutes."

"I hate waiting," she said. "I'm going to check on that cargo we have, find out what it is exactly. Contact me if you need anything." Emony and Maeill nodded and she left the bridge. The short walk to the cargo bay passed and she moved to the nearest crate. Opening the lid, her eyes widened. When they'd taken on the job they'd asked no questions, now she rather wished she had. Inside the crate was row upon row of medical vaccines. She picked one of them up and scanned the labels. It was for the deadly Quazulu virus. What on Praxis were those miscreants doing with crates of this virus? Hosts of questions flooded through her as she checked another crate. It held the same vaccine. What was worse, they had Federation labels over them, no one would buy them, no one in their right mind anyway. Each individual vaccine had a traceable number. Alhana sighed and put the lid back on the crate; a problem for another day. She plonked herself on the crate and sat for a moment, a vicious yawn erupted from her and she stretched her back. Maybe it was time to sleep, there were a few hours before she would be needed and if anything major happened, the crew would come and wake her.

A knock at her quarters door brought Alhana out of a restful dream, "What is it?" she muttered as she sat up.

"May I come in?"

"Yes," she said pulling her cover around her. The door opened and Khan replaced it. He yawned and sat down on her chair, "Don't tell me the superior intellect is falling asleep on his feet," she said. Looking at him, she got the impression that he had been working very hard. There were traces of grime on his pale skin and his black hair was dishevelled in a way that was not unattractive. Alhana found that she preferred him with hair that was that little bit longer. She hoped he would let it grow a little more too.

"The cloaking device is fixed." Khan said, "And yes, even I need to sleep sometimes."

"Shame, I could use your opinion on something." Khan raised an eyebrow, "Usually I ask Tig or Kang about such things but things being what they are."

"What is it?"

"The crates are full of Star Fleet medical supplies, all traceable and all unsellable. I have no idea what to do with them," she said as she pushed hair from her face. Khan's expression didn't change yet his vivid blue eyes seemed to harden somewhat.

"I may have an idea that could get you out of trouble with them as well as get our missing crew members back," he said, "Although the idea of helping Star Fleet sickens me."

"Yeah, me too. That Captain of theirs is proving to be a right pain in the butt," she said.

"You have no idea."

"So, this idea of yours?"

"We have six hours before we arrive at New Vulcan, allow me some time to freshen up and maybe get some sleep. I will meet with you before we arrive and I will tell you my thoughts." Khan said pulling his hand over his face.

"Very well. Go and get sorted, I'll speak to you then." Khan arose and left her to get herself changed and ready for the next set of challenges.


	17. Chapter 17

This time, the Warbird orbited New Vulcan without hiding. The _Enterprise_ had turned up about half an hour after they'd arrived and in the interest of maintaining a good appearance Alhana had decided to remain visible. She'd decided to begin orbit on the side of the planet furthest away from the Vulcan settlement. The first order of business was the missing crew members, then the _Enterprise_ and the medicines they had on board.

"Alhana to Tig," she said into the communication systems. No response was forthcoming. "Tig, come in, this is Alhana. Respond." Alhana gave it a moment before repeating her command. "Praxis' Moon, if you know what's good for you, you'll answer this Tig!" she said.

There was a garbled sound followed by a husky voice, "What?" It was Tig. A half asleep, grumpy sounding Tig, but Tig none the less.

"Report!" she said.

"Captain, T'Kir is with his family, Kang, Tavana and I are camped in local woodland, no one knows we're here." Tig said. "We are ready to beam back aboard when you are."

"Good, be ready." Alhana cut the link and patched through to engineering ordering them to beam up the missing crew members. Two minutes later, they informed her they were back on board ship and safe once more. She resisted the urge to rush to make sure for herself, instead she waited for them to join her on the bridge. Tig arrived first. He looked terrible.

"Glad to be back?"

"Sleeping out of doors has never been something I enjoyed," he replied. There were still a couple of dry leaves in his tangle of long dark hair and mud clung to his skin. "What has happened while I was gone?"

"We have repaired the cloaking device but it I not currently active, we have been followed by the _Enterprise_ and remain under their scrutiny but not for long. The cargo in those crates is a vaccine which we will be unable to shift due to its labelling and I think that is it." Alhana said.

"Not much then." Tig said sitting in his chair. He tapped into his station and yawned

"I intend to give the vaccines to New Vulcan, they'll be able to make use of them and we'll not be tracked," Alhana said.

"I do believe you're going soft in your years." Tig said with a laugh.

"What else would you have me do?" she said rubbing her hand over her face. "I'm going to do so via the _Enterprise_."

"Might get them off our case." Tig said as he thumped her on her back, "Good idea."

"It was Khan. Where are the other two?" she asked.

"I sent them off duty," Tig replied, "They looked worse than I did."

"Probably smelled it too, go and get yourself cleaned and rested." Alhana said, "That's an order." Tig nodded before leaving the bridge once more. Alhana turned to the screen and sighed. Time to get the whole affair over with, "Hail that ship," she said. Within moments, Kirk's smug face filled the screen.

"Captain," he said with the incline of his head.

"Captain," she replied, also returning the gesture.

"What can we do for you?" He seemed surprised to see her again, so much the better.

"I have a problem Captain and I believe you may be interested to hear the solution. It will be beneficial for all of us."

"Go ahead," he said. His interest showed in a light crinkling around his eyes and a tug at the left corner of his mouth.

"Our last mission didn't go according to plan. We were left with a certain type of cargo we are unable to sell." Alhana said.

"Medicine."

"Correct."

"We've been using it to follow you. It was stolen by a group of thieves while on route to the Tyree system. How did you end up with it?" Kirk asked as he sat back in his chair.

"We were transporting it for someone. The delivery went wrong and we ended up keeping it. I didn't know what it was until recently. I cannot sell it on so you may as well have it. I'm sure it had an intended purpose." Alhana explained. "We'll beam it on board for you." She said.

"What do you get out of this?" Kirk asked, his eyes narrowed by a tiny fraction.

"Left alone. You can't track us; we won't be on anyone's radar once they're gone. I can conduct my business in peace like I always have," she said. Kirk turned to talk to someone off screen, likely his first officer, for a long moment. Alhana rubbed her sweaty hands on her pants as Kirk turned back to face her.

"Very well Captain, we'll take the vaccine for you." Kirk said.

"Excellent, I will have that beamed to you in the next few minutes."

Kirk nodded, "I hope to do business with you again soon." He said before the screen went blank. She gave the order; engineering would see to the beaming of the cargo. Then it was just a case of cloaking and getting as far away from New Vulcan as they could as fast as they could go.

The ten minutes that it took to deposit the cargo dragged into an eternity. It was as though an hour had passed when Akhil told her the task was complete. As soon as they were done, the ship was cloaked and they left the system. After another ten minutes, Alhana's breathing returned to normal. Another five and Khan stepped onto the bridge, the ghost of a smile on his face. "So glad to be away from there." Alhana said to him.

"They'll have you listed as a thief and smuggler now." Khan said taking a seat to her left.

"Least it isn't murder," she said.

"True, where are you taking us?"

"The Tyrus system – a small place that will sell the parts we need. Then to the fifth planet in the Ceti Alpha system, it has no sentient species but it is capable of sustaining life. I am tired and could use a few days rest and I am sure the rest of the crew do too. We need time to repair and plan our next move," she said. Khan nodded.

"It will be nice to set foot on the ground again." Akhil said.

"We all need it." Alhana said. There were general sounds of agreement around the bridge and Alhana smiled, they had all earned a rest and finally, her ship was going to be repaired. No more worrying about the plasma coil overloading. It would also be a great chance to look at other minor tasks that needed doing. There were more than a few and if they did it in shifts, it would get done soon enough. She felt that it was time to start working on a rota.


	18. Chapter 18

The landscape on Ceti Alpha V was magnificent. Everything seemed to be two or three times larger than it was on Klingon. Everything from the trees to the life forms, the mountains and rocks, even the blades of grass were huge. Most of her crew had decided that this meant everything was worth hunting. Kang and Tig had split most of the crew into two parties and the challenge had been set; whoever killed the most won, the losers were doomed to cook the food for the winners. Tavana and Vrenn had remained aboard but were due to swap with Ranka and Emony in the next half hour. The plasma coil had been fixed and the leave was due to finish in a couple of days.

Alhana sat on a hill watching a troupe of giant ants go about their business, the way they marched back and forth reminded her of some of the fetch and carry missions they'd done in the past. Some easy work like that would be rather welcome after the madness of the last few weeks. "This is a good planet." Khan said from behind her. Alhana jumped.

"It's rude to sneak up on people," she replied leaning back to look up at him. He peered down at her with intense blue eyes before flopping next to her. "Why is this good planet good?"

"I believe you could live here and lead a satisfactory existence without too much effort. There is enough game here to keep your Klingon fellows happy, which means good hunting. The trees are large enough to build decent habitation and there is plenty of everything." Khan said, pointing to the items in question as he spoke.

"Are you getting fed up of life in this century then?"

"No. Of all the planets we have been to during the last few weeks, this one is the most hospitable."

"Yes," Alhana nodded. "How are you getting on with Klingon?"

"I am sufficient enough to read most of the words in the computer," he said, "However, it is good to speak in my own tongue at times," he added switching to English, he then uttered something incomprehensible.

"I'm sorry." Alhana said, "What language is that?"

"Hindi, the language of the country of my birth, back before Earth became the single state it is now, do not trouble yourself, not many speak it now and I have not spoken any for many years," he said.

"Do you miss your home?"

Khan didn't answer and she didn't press the issue, he would tell her if he wanted to. The silence stretched between them and Alhana let out a small sigh, she knew she should return to the Warbird and start to make the necessary preparations for the next part of the journey. "I would give anything to see the sun set behind the Taj Mahal once more." Khan said, his voice no more than a whisper, "Not a day passes where I do not find myself thinking about my lost friends and family." Alhana turned to look into the eyes of her friend.

"I'm sorry you lost them," she said pushing her hair behind her ear.

"It's not your fault, I failed them. I promised to lead them to a new world when we left Earth in 1996 and instead they exploded inside torpedo pods. I could have done so much more. I am the last of my kind." Khan said. Alhana was content to listen to his thoughts and she wondered if he'd spoken to anyone else about his dead crew. Who else was there?

"Tell me about them," she said resting her chin on her hands. He looked into her face for a long moment, getting the measure of her eyes, nose and chin; a smile tugged at her mouth and she licked her dry lips. He smiled back at her, a gesture that softened his harsh eyes and chased the cares away making him look younger and older all at once.

"I do not wish to speak of them. It is a bright day and I shouldn't dwell on dark thoughts. There is time enough for that while in space. What do you usually do while on leave?" he asked.

"I normally assist with the repairs of the ship but the plasma coil is beyond my skills. The files are up to date and there are no additions to the charts to be made at this time. I can't remember the last time I had nothing to do." Alhana said.

"That is something I can relate to."

"What a pair we make." Alhana said with a laugh, "No longer remember how to have fun."

"We could fight?"

"I haven't the energy." Alhana replied licking her lips again.

"A walk then?" Khan said getting to his feet.

"Very well. Is there something you want to show me?"

Khan merely smiled and held out his hand to help her up. She accepted and he pulled her to her feet. His hand was cool in hers, a wave of heat flashed through her and she stumbled. Khan caught her and for the brief moment that he held her against him her heart refused to beat. Their eyes locked for a second that lasted an eternity. He released her, "Steady."

"It's OK," she murmured as she took a step backwards. The gulf between them widened and Alhana felt cold. She shook her head and gestured for him to lead onwards. Instead of striding ahead, Khan fell in beside her, they walked in silence over the hill and down into a small grove of trees. The main feature of the grove was a clear pool of blue water which was surrounded by lush long green grass. It was a beautiful place.

"Do you swim?"

"What possible practicalities would I have for swimming Khan?" Alhana asked, "I work and operate a spaceship."

"You should learn, the rush of cool water over your hot skin on a summer day is something so pleasurable I cannot describe it." Khan said as he removed his shirt. Alhana raised an eyebrow and smothered a grin. He was rather nice to look at, even if he was a human. His boots followed and he looked at her sidelong as he bent over. She suddenly found the long blades of grass next to her fascinating; she didn't look up until she heard the splash of him diving into the pool. Then she watched Khan swim for a while.

"Come in, the water is lovely."

Alhana walked to the waters edge and removed her boots. She placed them next to Khan's and rolled her pants up to above the knee. Flopping down on a rock she dangled her legs in the water, Khan was right; the feel of the cool liquid on her skin was wonderful.

"You won't come in?" he said.

"I can't swim."

"I could teach you." Khan said. She shook her head. He took a deep breath and sank below the surface. Alhana didn't see where he went and looked around, what if he didn't surface, at if… Something grabbed her foot and she squealed. One swift jerk and water engulfed her. The cold liquid penetrated her shirt, swamped her hair and flooded her very being. Hands guided her back to the surface and she swallowed a lungful of air. "Feels good doesn't it."

"No," she replied spluttering out water that ran into her mouth. She struggled to reach the bottom of the pool, kicking her legs and waving her arms, causing a splash.

"Be still," Khan said, "You'll make it worse. Relax, I won't let you go." Alhana stilled her legs but kept her arms wide on the surface of the water.

"I don't like it." She whispered.

"Just imagine it as being a large bath." Khan said. The thought didn't help, the hands encircling her waist did and she tried to do as he asked. He opened his mouth to speak when a decidedly electronic beeping filled it.

"Captain?" It was Maeill. Khan boosted her back onto the rocks and she retrieved the communicator.

"Yes?"

"We need you on board, there's something you need to see." He said.

"Very well. Two to beam up." She said. The warmth of the transported kicked in a moment later and they were back on board in seconds. Both were dripping wet and the semi-naked state of Khan raised a couple of eyebrows. "This better be important." She said as she left the pad and headed to the bridge.


End file.
